


Fallen Avengers

by jsaint34



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, romanogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14018763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jsaint34/pseuds/jsaint34
Summary: An Alternate universe where based on the trailer Steve and Natasha were taken after losing to Thanos in Wakanda and are turned into Generals in his Black Order after being manipulated by Ebony Maw with the mind stone.





	1. Battle for Wakanda

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I'm sorry. I try not to post a new story with all the others I have in progress on here, but inspiration hit me early this morning and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote and posted this story.

War has once again come to Earth. Thanos has already collected three Infinity Stones and is only in need of three more to complete the Gauntlet and begin his goal of universal domination. Though it has been two years since the Avengers split over the Sokovia Accords, this threat brought them back together. Now waging a war on two fronts, Tony is leading a team with Thor, Spider-Man, The Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr. Strange. While they dealt with those odds stacked against them, Steve is leading a team in Wakanda that consists of Natasha, Bucky, Sam, Rhodey, Hulk, and T’Challa. 

This of course is where Thanos and his children in the Black Order made their own stand. The ensuing battle was instantly brutal. While the many tribes of Wakanda united to face this threat with the Avengers, they were all soon overwhelmed. For the most part Thanos directed his soldiers in the battle with Ebony Maw standing at his side. In short order Steve and his team were all separated to face their own enemies in the Black Order. Natasha was immediately besieged by Proxima Midnight while Steve faced down Corvus Glaive. As they fought, it soon became clear that Steve and Natasha were matched in combat skill if not strength with their opponents. 

The fights went on for hours, neither team willing to give up ground. Eventually the two Avengers did manage to disarm their adversaries. With Glaive unarmed Steve was able to catch Thanos’ General off guard with a hard hit to the head and a follow-up to his gut with the vibranium gauntlets Shuri had made for him. This rendered Glaive unconscious while Natasha was locked in hand to hand combat with Proxima. As their battle ended with both women knocked out, Steve fell to his knees in exhaustion. The other warriors were just barely holding their own when Thanos strode forward placing him in front of the former Captain America.

“You have skill, and an unyielding desire to win despite knowing this attempt was a pathetic failure from the beginning.”

Steve was still catching his breath when Thanos spoke. The voice of the Titan in front of the soldier insinuated a portent of death. While Steve could only look up, he knew that another fight was imminent. But he was surprised when Thanos briefly looked past him, as if surveying the war. In truth the near giant was remembering the words of his emissary after Loki’s defeat.

“Humans are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They are unruly and so cannot be ruled. To challenge them is to court death.”

With those words echoing in his mind, Thanos knew he would have to adjust his tactics. Now looking down at the soldier he threw a fist, which Steve only barely caught, his hands wrapping around two fingers of the gauntlet. He struggled to keep his enemy at bay, sweat beading on his forehead and a grimace of intense pain appearing on his face. When he could hold out no longer, he collapsed from the two brutal fights he had been in. With this initial battle nearly won, Maw retook his place at Thanos’ side. The Titan easily picked Steve up and slung him over his shoulder before doing the same with Natasha.

“Maw, teleport us back to my ship. I may not have the Soul Stone, but with Glaive and Proxima wounded we should leave this insipid planet.”

“And what of our warriors, my Lord? The battle still rages.”

“Leave them. Let the humans savor a small victory. They will soon find out that their leaders are gone. When we return I will have two new warriors in the Black Order for them to fight. Then my true victory will be assured.”

When Thanos and the Black Order had teleported from the battlefield, the tide began to turn in favor of the Avengers and Wakanda. They were now basically facing Thanos’ foot-soldiers and though exhausted, defeated their enemy. Upon surveying the fields of war, Bucky and T’Challa were the first to notice who wasn’t among them.

“Buck…we’re all done here. Thanos’ warriors are all either dead or dying. We need to…”

“Sam, stop. You notice something?”

“Steve…Natasha…where are they?”

“Not here. Last I knew they were fighting one on one with two of Thanos’ main warriors.”

“Then we need to find them…if Thanos has them…”

“Then they’re gone and we can’t do a thing to help them.”

“Are you shitting me Barnes…? You’re just gonna let your best friend and Nat…”

“Sam…listen to Sergeant Barnes…we will find Captain Rogers and Miss Romanoff. But we’re going to need help. If Thanos has them…they are out of our sphere of influence at the moment. Think about what Steve would want…what they both would want. We must continue the fight and we will need our full strength to conduct a rescue operation.”

“So we just leave them to Thanos’ machinations? Is that what you’re saying T’Challa?”

“No…what I am saying is that we need to call Stark. We will need him and his allies to unite and win this war. We will now be facing Thanos in his territory. This has gone beyond our planet. The finality will be cosmic in nature.”

While the Avengers regrouped in Wakanda. Thanos’ ship remained in orbit above Earth. After teleporting back, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight were taken to a recovery room after their battles with Steve and Natasha. The latter two were taken to holding cells deep in the underbelly of the ship where Ebony Maw waited for them to regain consciousness. He wasn’t kept waiting long as Steve woke first.

“Where…where am I? Where are the other Avengers…let me out of…”

“Please, Captain. You know that begging is unbecoming of a warrior such as yourself.”

“You can talk all you want…but when I get out of here, you’re my first target. I will find Natasha and get back home. Then we’ll stop Thanos and all of you.”

“So confident…for a human. I am truly sorry Captain…but when you get out of here, defeating us will be the last thing on your mind. Lord Thanos has plans for you, and your lovely companion.”

With that ominous threat hanging in the air, Maw turned and walked away leaving Steve to contemplate what the future held for both him and Natasha. He knew she was there with him, but had no idea she was in the cell right next to his until he heard movement.

“Ugh…feels like a freight train ran over me…”

“Nat…”

“Steve…where…where are we?"

“On Thanos’ ship…are you okay?”

“Just peachy…what happened?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Hitting that Amazon alien with the Widow’s Bite as she punched me in the face. Her hit didn’t feel like much but…”

“The two of you knocked each other out. After I beat his General, Thanos attacked me…I couldn’t put up much of a fight…”

Steve fell silent at that, knowing that if he had held out a little longer they wouldn’t be in this mess…and as usual Natasha can tell that his silence means he’s blaming himself for their current predicament.

“Steve…this was not your fault. You did everything you possibly could. We are not here because you failed to beat Thanos.”

“You know that’s not true Nat…I’m a super-soldier…I’ve beaten enemies that are twice my size…how is this not my fault?”

“Because Thanos is nothing like what you or I were ever trained for. Like Loki with Clint. This is beyond anything the SSR, or SHIELD, or HYDRA and the Red Room ever put us through. And I know you Steve…I know you did everything you could because the man you are…the man I fell in love with keeps fighting even when the odds are stacked against him.”

“I’ll get us out of this Nat…I promise.”

Unbeknownst to Steve and Natasha, Thanos and Ebony Maw were listening to every word spoken between their two captives. Departing Earth wasn’t in Thanos’ initial plan but he had learned that the Reality Stone was in Knowhere and while the jumps would take them there quicker, he needed the time to carry out his other plan. 

“Maw…take the guards and torture the Captain. Make sure that his companion hears every scream he utters. Then use your powers of persuasion to convince her that the torture will end if she swears allegiance to me.”

“The bond between the two is strong Lord Thanos. But I do not believe she will be that easily broken.”

“Of course she will not. This is why I’m sending you. But your abilities are not all that will be needed.”

As Ebony Maw looks on, Thanos removes the Mind Stone from the gauntlet and places it in the master manipulator’s hand. With months on their journey to Knowhere, he will have all the time he needs to corrupt their captives or kill them.

“I will do as you command, my Lord.”

Thanos smiled as Maw and the guards left the bridge before turning towards the view screen showing the open expanse of space before him. Before returning to the detention level, the guards retrieved various weapons and devices to torture their captives. As soon as they were properly armed, they continued their descent and upon arrival Steve stood up, fire in his eyes daring his enemies to do their worst. Similarly, Natasha also stood up in defiance, but when her cell door opened only Maw stepped in, the mind stone concealed in his palm.

“Good afternoon Widow. I had hoped you would awaken earlier before I departed after speaking with the Captain. No matter, you are awake now and I can begin my line of questioning.”

“Say what you want. I manipulated Loki, what chance do you think you have?”

“Loki…ah yes…the so-called Asgardian God of Mischief. He was no more than a pawn in my Master’s Grand plan. What you Avengers did not know was that Loki was supposed to lose. A part he played masterfully. His loss got him taken back to Asgard, right where we needed him.”

“And you’re telling me this…why?”

“So you understand that this was always going to happen. Earth will fall, as will the rest of the Universe to Lord Thanos.”

“Whatever information you hope to get from me…it won’t work.”

“I am aware. And if I were here to get information from you, I have many other ways to accomplish that. No, I am simply here to make sure you listen.”

“To what?”

“Guards…begin the torture.”

Inside his cell Steve’s hands were bound as Thanos’ guards began mercilessly beating him. He was kicked, punched, choked, but not once during the initial half hour did he scream. He took every attack and got back to his feet every time he was knocked down.

“You must be stupid.”

“Enlighten me to my levels of stupidity then. Please explain your opinion.”

“You clearly don’t know who it is your lackeys are torturing over there. Steve Rogers was frozen in ice for seventy years. He had to fight his best friend nearly to the death to save him. We faced down an army of genocidal robots and you think torture is going to break him? Anything they can dish out, he can take.”

“And you dare to call me stupid? Widow…the torture isn’t meant to break him…it was meant to break you.”

Natasha laughed in Ebony Maw’s face at his assertion. She knew what con he was attempting to play on her and like all others she knew it would fail.

“Rogers is my partner…my friend. But he knows that no matter what you do to him…you won’t break me. Better than you have tried…better than you have failed. He’ll die before you break me. The same way I would before you break him.”

“Oh really? Perhaps you won’t be so confident when you hear this.”

As Natasha kept up a confident smirk, she watched as Maw produced a small remote control for her to see. One press of a button and the conversation she had with Steve was playing back for her to hear. She still believed that Maw was wasting his time until he put one part of the recording on repeat.

“The man I fell in love with…fell in love with…fell in love with…”

“Everyone has a weakness Widow. The Captain is yours. Care to reassess your statement?”

Natasha made her face a mask of impassiveness when the recording stopped. She knew that her love for Steve was not a weakness, it was a strength. And she vowed in that moment to hold onto that strength no matter what it took.

Months passed back on Earth as The Avengers, The Guardians and Dr. Strange had all reconvened in Wakanda. The only one absent was Vision as being without the Mind Stone weakened him. Even Nick Fury and Maria Hill had come to this briefing to discuss plans for moving forward when Thanos’ next attack would come.

“Look, Steve and Natasha are gone. Four months have passed since Thanos assaulted Wakanda. We know he’s after the Infinity Stones and at last count he had three. God only knows how many he has now since he left. But more importantly, we have to presume that by now, Thanos killed our team-mates. They’re gone and not coming back.”

“That’s a load of bullshit Stark…how can you so easily just write Steve and Nat off like that…”

“Sam…I’m just stating the facts. When Thanos disappeared, Rogers and Romanoff were gone. He has them, and if he hasn’t killed them yet, he will soon enough. So we do what we have to. We avenge them.”

“Sam…Stark’s not wrong. Remember; Nebula and I were Thanos’ adopted daughters. If he hasn’t killed your friends…he’s making them like he made us and he did this to us without any of the Infinity Stones. With just the mind stone he could…they’re better off dead.”

Silence fell in T’Challa’s conference room at what Gamora just said. All of those assembled were holding out hope that Steve and Nat had survived this long and were still in possession of their free will. But they all also knew thinking as such was supremely naïve. And when the silence became oppressive, it was Bucky that spoke.

“As much as I hate to agree with him…Stark’s right. Steve and Natasha are both tough but even I have doubts they could have survived this long. We need a strategy. Thanos will come back…and when he does, we need to be ready.”

During those four months aboard Thanos’ ship, both Steve and Natasha had been repeatedly tortured by the Titan’s guards. While they both endured, Ebony Maw had begun manipulating both of their minds with the Mind Stone. He had Steve and Natasha doubting themselves, the possibility of escape, and ever seeing their home again. Knowhere was attacked and the Reality Stone brought into Thanos’ possession. The next destination on their journey would be a return to Earth From Knowhere this would take another two months and an end to the torture that Steve and Nat had been subjected to.

“The bond you two share is as strong as I told Lord Thanos. I can see now that our repeated torture of you has failed to complete my mission.”

“Like we told you it would Maw. Steve and I can’t be broken by methods like yours.”

“I see that now. But you still have doubts about your survival, and you know you have no chance of escape. You see Widow, torture was not my only method. Perhaps you recognize this?”

Natasha could only stare as Maw opened up his palm to reveal the Mind Stone. She had a gut feeling that more was at play here in his plan, and now she knew that all these months, she and Steve were trapped, and the endgame for them had arrived. In that moment Maw’s face went from a serene façade to a deadly sneer. Natasha tried to rush him and fight, but months of repeated torture had overtaxed her own serum. All it took was for her captor to place his hand that held the mind stone against her forehead, causing her to scream out in agony.

“You see Widow…Loki only used a fraction of the Mind Stone’s power. As you can no doubt feel, it can do so much more than just control minds. It can rearrange memories, destroy synapses, it can even bring your darkest impulses to the very center of your being, making rage the only emotion you can feel. But perhaps most importantly, it can rewrite everything you are, erasing all you were and making you what Lord Thanos wants you to be. When you awaken Widow, you will join the Black Order and declare your loyalty to Thanos.”

One more blood curdling scream came from Natasha’s throat before she fell unconscious. Steve had been knocked out and only awoke upon hearing this scream emanate from the mouth of the woman he loves. He knew that whatever had been done to her, he was going to be next. And when his cell door opened, Ebony Maw stepped in, flanked by guards that immediately restrained the super-soldier so he couldn’t fight back.

“What did you do to her? I swear if you killed Natasha…”

“Do not worry about her Captain. The Widow lives…and when she wakes, she will have a new loyalty and outlook on life and the universe. And when I am done…so will you.”

As he had done with Natasha, Ebony Maw adopted a vile sneer as he placed the mind stone in his open palm against Steve’s forehead. Restrained as he was, his body thrashed against the power coursing through his brain, but couldn’t escape. Steve’s body bucked off his knees but he was pushed back down. His jaw clenched, biting back the scream that threatened to explode as his very sense of self was being erased and replaced with what Thanos wanted him to be. He could feel it as Maw pushed harder. Soon enough Steve passed out from the strain and the guards dropped him on the floor of his cell.

“Re-secure his cell. Then stand watch over them. I will report to Lord Thanos that my task is done. When they begin to awaken, alert me.”

The guards nodded to Maw as he turned to depart. As soon as he reached the bridge to report, Thanos raised a hand to halt his attempts to speak. 

“I have been monitoring your progress Maw. You have done exceptionally well in your task. The mind stone?”

“Of course, my Lord.”

Maw handed the stone back to Thanos who immediately placed it back in the Infinity Gauntlet. He continued to watch the cells as his newest recruits began to shake and thrash again as their identities were being rewritten. He knew that Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff weren’t completely destroyed, but were pushed down to the depths of their subconscious where if he should lose this war, they could be restored.  
He didn’t intend to lose, and his hold on them would be unbreakable once he sent them against their former Avenger allies. Hours passed as they neared Knowhere. Just before they made orbit, Steve and Natasha awoke, slowly getting to their feet. Both of their faces were impassive as they looked around their cells and from watching them Thanos and Ebony Maw could see that their eyes, his once blue and hers green, had now turned completely black.

“It is time Maw, take me to them.”

The descent to the detention block was short and Thanos stepped from the lift first. Maw followed with Corvus, Cull and Proxima close behind. The guards kneeled before their Master and his children before he spoke.

“Open their cells. Let them out.”

As soon as the cells opened, Steve and Natasha stepped forward, both stretching their limbs and regaining their equilibrium. When they had a full range of motion back, Thanos motioned for both his guards and the Black Order to step away. He could already tell that these two were not a threat to him, and stood there confidently as he waited for them to make the first move. Both immediately kneeled in subjugation and bowed their heads. After a brief moment, the Titan spoke again.

“Whom do you serve?”

“We serve you, Lord Thanos.”

Steve and Natasha’s voices had taken on a deadlier timbre when they spoke. Gone were the righteousness and the snark, replaced by a cold intensity that in the coming attacks would signify a true darkness and commitment to their Master’s ultimate goal of universal conquest. 

“Stand my children. Warlord; KillShadow: welcome home to the Black Order.”

Steve and Natasha stood, sinister smiles crossing their faces as they moved side by side with Corvus and Proxima. Captain America and Black Widow no longer existed as they accepted their place as Generals in Thanos’ army, and prepared to help him retrieve the final Infinity Stones.


	2. Dark Rebirth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter was fairly long, so this one was a bit shorter, still not sure how far I'll go with this or how many chapters it will be as of yet. I appreciate the kudos and comments, feel free to leave feedback, but please make it constructive criticism. Thanks for reading.

Over the long months of captivity for the two heroes Thanos watched with sadistic amusement as Ebony Maw and his guards tortured Steve and Natasha all the while slowly breaking them. They were beaten, bloody and bruised after every session. But the Titan did not rest on his laurels during that time either. He knew that when the two completely broke as Maw used the mind stone on them, just having them declare their loyalty would not be enough. As such he fabricated wholly new identities for them to solidify his hold on them and their commitment to his goals of universal domination. 

Now he once again watches as Warlord and KillShadow train with Corvus and Proxima. The fight between the four is even more brutal than the battle on Earth. The Titan can see that his newest recruits are not holding back and all four show the beginnings of scars and have blood dripping from wounds. As the sparring session nears a conclusion, Warlord catches Corvus off guard and lands a massive uppercut knocking him off his feet. Impressive, but the maneuver KillShadow executes is more so. Proxima goes for a double punch to her adversary’s stomach, but misses as the newest General drops to her knees and slides under Proxima’s legs. 

In the next instant KillShadow is up and has her arms wrapped around Proxima’s neck, while she exerts pressure with her knees to the taller woman’s back. Both fall backward, but KillShadow manages to roll away and in one swift movement is back on her feet with an elbow to her adversary’s throat. With the training session complete, Thanos’ voice booms through the loudspeaker along with his clapping.

“Excellent; my children. Your combat skills have shown no signs of faltering in the time you were prisoners of Earth. Corvus, Proxima, begin finalizing our battle plan for the conquest of the planet and my retrieval of the Infinity Stones there.”

“As you command Lord Thanos.”

“Warlord, KillShadow, report to my chambers immediately. I have much to tell you.”

The four members of the Black Order each go their separate ways, Warlord and KillShadow being more than curious as to what their Master has to tell them. Even the comment about being prisoners of Earth only slightly phased them as Ebony Maw had briefly touched upon in their conversations as he reoriented them to their lives on board the ship. When the two reach his chambers the door slides open and they kneel in respect.

“Come my children, though you have retaken your place as trusted warriors, some of your past has been kept hidden from you as the humans held you prisoner, torturing you for information.”

“Lord Thanos, we have recommitted ourselves to retrieving the Infinity Stones and conquering Earth for their transgressions against you. Do our past’s matter so much in light of that?”

“Indeed they do Warlord. For when you truly understand what was done to you, your resolve will be even stronger for our ultimate goal. By now I’m sure you’ve realized that we are not blood related. And you’ve also come to accept an undeniable attraction between the two of you.”

“We both have, father. I can’t explain it, and Warlord can’t either, but we do both feel it.”

“That is because you two have been connected your entire lives. You were orphans on Xandar when Corvus found you. You, Warlord were always looking out for KillShadow, having to steal to survive. When he first brought you to me, I was skeptical…”

“Understandably so, Master.”

“…yes, but I quickly saw how useful the two of you could be. Homeless, parentless, with no real ties to anyone except each other. You were even nameless when he brought you to me. Who you were before became irrelevant as you came to accept your lives were better with me. I cared for you, raised you and trained you to be stronger than you ever imagined. And when I gave you new names, we truly became family.”

Thanos briefly pauses as Warlord and KillShadow take in this information before he continues. He knows that these revelations though false, will truly tie these two to him, and completely bury any remains of Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff that could potentially come to the surface.

“Warlord, you were young and brave, even for someone so small in stature when you were brought to me. Corvus recounted how he saw you hit someone who took a loaf of bread from KillShadow. You were always a bit of a loner though and restless most nights, so as such I gave you a name I thought would be fitting: Zayne Wolfmoon.”

Warlord rolled the name around in his thoughts and off of his tongue for a few moments before accepting that it felt right. If asked, he wouldn’t be able to explain it, but he inherently knew that was who he is, and knowing his identity gave him a renewed sense of strength and purpose. KillShadow now looked to Thanos, patiently waiting for the Titan to reveal her true identity.

“You, my daughter were always stubbornly independent. Fearless, powerful, Corvus told me that during that same incident when your loaf of bread was taken; you didn’t just let Zayne fight for it. You landed your own punch to the other boy and when the Nova Corps attempted to catch you, you took Zayne’s hand and ran, darting to safety through passages only you knew. Able to hide in plain sight, no one ever caught you. Corvus only found you because he was following you. He said you were like the shadows, always moving, but never staying in one place. It was for that reason I named you Nylora Shade."

As Warlord had done, KillShadow silently processed her identity, coming not only to terms with it, but the name unlocking a barrier in her mind to memories she had thought long forgotten due to the imprisonment on Earth. When she completely accepted her past, she spoke to both Thanos and Zayne.

“I remember everything now, father. You did care for us, raise us, and train us to fight. We became more than we ever thought we could be under your guidance. And I remember the first mission you sent us on when we came of age. You sent us to rescue Ebony Maw from the Sovereign. The battle was vicious, but Zayne and I were successful, killing many of High Priestess Ayesha’s people and leaving destruction in our wake. It was when we returned that you gave us the names Warlord and KillShadow. But it was also the mission where Zayne and I realized we were in love.”

“Yes…and…?”

“You were furious when you found out. Your anger was because you thought our feelings would keep us from completing our missions. Maw was able to convince you otherwise as each subsequent mission proved successful because our feelings strengthened us as a team. Much Like Corvus and Proxima, you soon allowed us to be wed, because even if you had forbid our marriage, our stubborn and independent nature would have us taking that step anyway.”

“Excellent Nylora, you have remembered everything of your life with me. No doubt that you have as well Zayne?”

“I have, Lord Thanos.”

“It is even better that your treatment at the hands of the Avengers of Earth only buried that for a brief time. Soon enough our conquest of the planet will begin and you shall have vengeance against those who took you from your home.”

“We will slaughter them in your name, father. Our loyalty will always be with you.”

“I have faith that it will, now leave me and report to the armory, I think you will find something there that will help you become the warriors you once were.”

As Zayne and Nylora departed his chambers, Thanos once again adopted a sadistic smile. Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were truly buried. Only his children Zayne Wolfmoon; Warlord and Nylora Shade; KillShadow remained. When the remaining Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy fell in the war, their previous lives would be a nothing more than a faded memory, the Black Order the only home they would ever need, and they would forever be the children of Thanos of Titan.


	3. Oncoming Storm

In the six months since the battle of Wakanda, The Avengers, The Guardians, Black Panther and Dr. Strange have formed a somewhat cohesive unit. There were still tensions of course, mostly between Peter Quill, Tony, and T’Challa while Stephen and Thor did their best to diffuse many of those arguments. In truth both the Thunder God and Sorcerer found it ironic that they were called upon for this very task of maintaining peace considering one was stripped of all his power to learn humility and the other’s arrogance cost him the use of his hands. And they both had to pick their battles which led to the hostility between Bucky and Tony exploding, causing the former to extricate himself from his surroundings with some choice words for Stark and a slamming of three doors as he departed.

“That was uncalled for Stark…Barnes has been freed of all that HYDRA did to him. And when are you going to learn…The Winter Soldier killed your parents, not Bucky.”

“I still don’t care T’Challa. That man is a murderer. He doesn’t belong with the Avengers. Far as I’m concerned, he can go back to Wakanda and rot in the knowledge of what he did.”

“Of course, I had forgotten, it only matters how you were wronged. Barnes was held captive for decades, his life taken away brutally. He was wronged far worse than you ever could have been. But please, let your anger and thirst for vengeance continue to consume you. That is what Thanos wants.”

T’Challa’s words didn’t erase Tony’s anger, but they did help him realize that he was focusing on the wrong war. He was left alone to process that as the King followed Bucky, having a vague idea where the soldier would go. While he could not stay in New York much longer, he would do his best to make sure Barnes stayed where he was needed. As such he found his quarry in a run-down bar in Brooklyn thirty minutes after he stormed out of Dr. Strange’s Sanctum.

“What do you want T’Challa?”

“To make sure you are not going to run again.”

“That’s the last thing on my mind. I just needed to get away from Stark.”

“He certainly is overbearing…”

“And arrogant, stubborn, entirely too much of a loose cannon…”

“Agreed, so why this bar?”

“Steve and I used to come here, a long time ago. Things were simpler then.”

“Things were simpler before this war.”

“You’re right about that. Despite the brave face I put on for Sam, for Wanda, Clint and Scott, I still have a hard time accepting Steve and Nat are gone.”

“You do not believe they are dead, even after six months with no word?”

“Would you, if it was your best friend?”

“I would not. You have learned much of Wakanda in your stay with us, and my father’s belief was always that death is not an ending. If in your heart you believe that Steve is alive, then you must continue to fight. Forget what Stark says, contrary to what he believes, he does not know everything.”

T’Challa’s words elicited a light chuckle from Bucky as the two men sat in silence for mere moments. While they were both at each other’s throats two years ago, they have now formed a warrior’s bond if not one of friendship. In that time they both knew they could see what Tony couldn’t. This war for the universe was for more important than the petty squabbles that humans often let control them. But they also both knew that when it came down to it, Stark would do the right thing, and not abandon his team.

“Well Sergeant Barnes, I am afraid I must cut this conversation short. Wakanda is in need of her king. There is still much rebuilding to be done, and Thanos’ impending return to prepare for. Until we meet again on the fields of battle, Godspeed, White Wolf.”

“Good luck, Your Highness.”

T’Challa quickly departed the bar to join Okoye in the car she had followed him with. While she was always on guard for her King, she knew that this moment was one of the utmost importance and privacy for the two warriors. As they drove away, she was silent. The attack on Wakanda had led to much death, far greater than Killmonger’s when he usurped the throne. Being focused as she was, she almost didn’t hear T’Challa speak.

“Okoye…is there something troubling you?”

“Of course not; Your Majesty. I am eager to return home. Departing Wakanda and leaving it in the hands of the Council without the King…”

“Wakanda will survive. We always have. If you fear another attempt at the throne in my absence, you should not. My mother, Shuri, and Nakia have things well under control.”

With T’Challa’s departure, Bucky remained behind in the bar, still lost in thought. After Steve and Natasha were first taken, he told Sam they couldn’t do a thing to help them, inwardly he wished he was wrong for the fact of how much Steve had sacrificed to save him all those years ago. Now six months later, he blames himself for Steve and Natasha’s capture, even though he does still believe they’re alive. Pushing those thoughts aside isn’t easy, even as he checks the text that alerts on his phone. Sam is notifying him of the next training session to keep their skills sharp for when Thanos returns.

As it stands the Avengers are alone on Earth as the Guardians have returned to deep space for word on Thanos. They failed to reach both Xandar and Knowhere in time to prevent the thefts of the Infinity Stones. Peter and Gamora were determined to halt Thanos’ progress and prevent his return to Earth. Neither team was aware that Thanos’ vessel was now stationed in Jupiter’s orbit, where his plans for conquest had been finalized, while Warlord and KillShadow were admiring their armor. Though they had taken to using their warrior names around the rest of the Black Order, but in private they referred to each other by their actual given names.

“Father truly did understand what makes us accomplished warriors; Zayne. Your armor is built to withstand the even the most determined enemy, and mine is constructed completely for stealth. Protective, but lightweight. And these wrist gauntlets of mine…”

Nylora activated one gauntlet and the resulting energy burst carved a two foot hole directly through the suit of armor she pointed it at. A deadly grin adorned her lips at the thought of the damage she could do with her weapons, until she noticed Zayne was entranced by a shield on the wall of the armory, and he had barely paid attention to his suit of armor.

“Zayne…your armor…you haven’t even looked at it. What’s got you so distracted?”

“The armor is perfect Nylora, solid black, completely without weaknesses...I have no doubts it will protect me from any attack the Avengers throw at me. But this…this shield, I think it will be the perfect offensive weapon, able to decapitate our enemies with extreme lethality.”

Nylora moved to stand side by side with her husband, entwining their arms and leaning her head on his shoulder. She too was soon entranced by the weapon he was staring at. Like his armor, the shield was as black as midnight, three feet around in diameter, but what made it seem so deadly was the serrated edge that rounded the entire circumference of the shield. As Zayne moved closer to inspect it, he noticed the sharp points were encrusted with dried blood, as if the weapon had been used recently. Without reservations, he removed the shield from the wall and carefully slipped his free arm through the straps. When he turned to Nylora who had let go of his arm, her dark eyes lit up at the sight.

“That shield was made for you, Zayne. Any Avenger who even thinks about attacking you will cower in fear as soon as they see you fully armed, ready to make them meet death.”

“Yes…but you Nylora…that blonde hair…”

“You don’t like it?” 

“I prefer the color your hair was in my memories. Red, a red as dark as blood, bordering very close to black. The blonde doesn’t suit you.”

“I agree…I hate the color just as much as you do. I had plans to change it before we destroy our enemies as we conquer Earth. This color will do nothing to intimidate anyone.”

“I…”

“Warlord…KillShadow, report to the command deck immediately. I have a mission for you.”

Zayne and Nylora were about to share a passionate kiss as Thanos’ voice reverberated through the armory. Though they were interrupted, the gleam that appeared in both of their eyes spoke of romantic promises to be fulfilled later. In the interim, they were filled with sinister anticipation of what their mission is going to be. As soon as they reached the command deck, Thanos related what he needed of them.

“My children, we have entered Earth’s solar system. I have us in orbit around one of the planets. Your mission is to land on Earth…”

“And confront the Avengers, Father? Are we to kill them so soon?”

“You are eager for your vengeance Nylora, and I applaud that. But no…I want you to go planet-side to assess the recovery from our last assault. Our time for conquest will arrive soon enough. The two of you are to use your skills to observe and weaken Earth’s defenses, allowing our warriors to land and subjugate the people.”

“And what if we run into any Avengers, may we kill them, Lord Thanos?”

“For now you must avoid that eventuality at all costs. I lost you to them once before, I will not do so again. You both must be cautious in your infiltration.”

“But if we should encounter them, Father? What then?”

“With where I’m sending you, an encounter with the Avengers will be unlikely. However, if one should cross your path…you should eliminate the human, extreme methods are permissible.”

“And what of Gamora and Nebula? Their betrayal must be dealt with.”

“And it will be Zayne. Your sisters will know the pain I felt from their betrayal. But as with the Avengers, they must not know of your presence on Earth. If they were to learn you are there, it would derail our plans for the planet, forcing me to move up our timetable. Rest assured, when you bring them before me, I will deal with them personally. Go now, you have one hour before departure. My jump ship will be waiting with the coordinates programmed into the computer.”

Zayne and Nylora departed the command deck for their personal quarters. Thanos could feel their determination for this mission he was sending them on, and was inherently pleased that they would complete this task. Although Ebony Maw was present, though concealed and now stepped from the shadows to question this course of action.

“Lord Thanos, is this wise? Sending these two former Avengers into enemy territory so soon…what if the others do encounter your newest disciples? How can you be sure these so-called heroes will not break through our control?”

“You sound skeptical of your own abilities and the Mind Stone, Maw. You yourself assured me that Rogers and Romanoff were completely corrupted to our side and committed to our conquest.”

“I did, My Lord. But as with all things there is a risk that one among the Avengers will recognize them, and sway them back to being your enemies.”

“Then they will prove that they were not worthy and will die with the rest of the planet. Either way, I will win.”

Back in their shared quarters, the couple was packing various weapons and inconspicuous clothing for their return to Earth. Thanos’ guards were having their armor packed while the two readied themselves. As she had said she would, Nylora was using an appearance modification unit to rid herself of the blond hair she had been sporting. 

When she finished and stepped from the unit, her hair was now black with slight hints of blood red, framing her face. As a final touch, she also added two vertical lines around her left eye, one black and one red. War markings she would come to call them. 

Upon seeing this, Zayne too added the same markings, but over his right eye. With their appearances altered and their gear ready, they knew that their time for vengeance was close at hand. Warlord and KillShadow would soon make the Avengers regret holding the Children of Thanos captive and the heroes would wish for death.

Back on Earth, Wanda Maximoff was restless. Her days were filled with visions of encroaching storm clouds and her nights were worse, her powers showing her images of black armored warriors, merciless, fearless, leaving death in their wake. One seemed to be male, his armor built only to cause pain, the gauntlets he wore had spikes jutting out from them, his helmet concealed most of his face, with just his beard and eyes showing, both as dark as the night. The shield on his arm looked equally as deadly, with the blood encrusted serrated edge. 

But it was the woman she saw that was even more terrifying. Her armor was sleek, allowing her speed and flexibility. She was like lightning on the battlefield. She too had a mask that exposed only her black eyes and let her hair free and with every movement was a wave of black and blood red whipping about behind her as she attacked with a ferocity meant to kill.

Both were clearly accomplished warriors, and quite possibly the deadliest enemies she and the Avengers would ever face. This vision is the one that woke Wanda up every night. She never saw the conclusion and that is what scared her the most. Whoever these two are, they knew every weakness in her team and exploited it. Since Thanos’ Black Order took the Mind Stone from Vision, her powers had become increasingly erratic, as if the loss of the stone broke a mental block in her mind.

Because of this, Bucky and Clint insisted that she take up residence in the New York Sanctum with Dr. Strange. Though he had only learned of magic in the last nearly three years, he had become proficient in the mystic arts, and could very likely become the next Sorcerer Supreme. She had vehemently protested of course, but the soldier and archer were adamant that she needed to learn more control, and both figuratively and literally put a foot down. In the end she knew it was the correct course of action and ceased her protestations. It is now that she is sitting with Stephen in his study, a cup of tea in her hands and her trembling abates.

“Wanda, we’re never going to get through this if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. Every day you come to me after sleepless nights, and sit there…drinking tea. How can I help you regain control if you won’t open up?”

“I’m sorry Doctor…”

“Please, call me Stephen.”

“…I can’t…but as for my visions…I know they are because my powers have been amplified and are becoming more and more dangerous the longer this war goes on. And without the Mind Stone…”

“Wanda, the Mind Stone does not control your powers…I’d even say it unlocked them rather than gave them to you.”

“But without it…I feel like I constantly have to hold back…if I make one wrong move…I could cause damage even worse than I did in Lagos.”

“I know of the incident in Lagos…I’ll tell you what I got from hearing of that situation. It was not your fault. Magic can be extremely unpredictable in anyone’s hands. You did your best to stop a known terrorist from causing harm. The force of the bomb he was wearing disrupted your control and that is what caused the building to be damaged, and yes…also the loss of life.”

“Knowing that still doesn’t make it easier, Doctor.”

“Then let’s not focus on that. What do you see in your visions that cause you such fear?”

“Warriors, clad in black, taking the Avengers out one by one. Clint, Bucky, Sam, Scott, T’Challa, Thor and Hulk. I stand their frozen as the Guardians fall next. Star-Lord, Rocket, Drax. Groot is cut down to kindling, and all that remain to fight are Tony, Gamora, and Nebula. I never see what happens to you in my visions and I always wake before the end. Whoever these two are, I can only say for certain that they are part of Thanos’ Black Order, as he stands behind them, protecting them, while wearing a sinister smile.”

Stephen Strange steeples his fingers’, contemplating everything Wanda has told him. His silence speaks volumes as he comes to a decision that could potentially cause them both serious injuries.

“Wanda, I see no other way around this. If I can shed some light on these death filled images of yours I will. But we’re going to have to join our minds, and take a trip to the astral plane. I need to experience everything you have. But you have to trust me for this to work.”

“If it comes to magic, I think you are the only person I can trust.”

Both fall silent as Wanda and Stephen join hands. She knows what he needs her to do and brings the last vision to the forefront of her thoughts, and they are both instantaneously transported into the vision. In their astral forms, they are observers, unable to affect anything, just along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, even though Steve and Natasha are currently serving Thanos in his quest for the remaining Infinity Stones and are willing to kill their allies in his name, I wrote them as not being able to resist weapons that they used as Cap and Widow. It's up to the readers to decide if this is because of their real identities trying to take hold, or maybe Thanos had Ebony Maw reprogram them to think that way. Hope everyone is enjoying the story and look for Chapter 4 coming soon. As always feel free to comment and let me know what you think.


	4. Infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter I have to give credit for the end of it to one of our fellow Romanogers writers. I was messaged asking if Carol Danvers would appear at some point in this story, and I was struggling with a way to bring her in, and as I was already writing this chapter when the question was asked, ideas started to coalesce and I found a way to incorporate Ms. Danvers as Captain Marvel with nods to her comic book history and hints of her solo movie will feature since Samuel L. Jackson has been already announced to be a part of it though it won't be out until next year. Now on with Chapter 4.

As soon as they were ready, Zayne and Nylora boarded the jump ship provided by Thanos. With the destination preprogrammed they only had to launch from the main vessel on their journey to Earth. The power of the engines in their ship made a short flight of the 390,674,710 miles between the planets. As Zayne piloted the vessel, Nylora accessed the broadcast feeds of everything going on below them. Initially she was curious as to how they would not be detected by anyone on Earth but Thanos had explained that Earth’s satellites were hundreds of years behind his own technology and the vessel was also equipped with a rudimentary cloaking device that was still far more advanced than anything the humans could imagine. If they should show up on radar the ship would appear as space debris.

“Nylora, we are on final approach to the coordinates father gave us. Have the broadcasts from the planet indicated any new manners of defense that will hinder our conquest?”

“None, if these humans weren’t so pathetic it would be laughable to think they could defeat father and the Black Order. Our landing will go unnoticed and once we report back, this world will do nothing but burn.”

While the jump ship was landing, Dr. Strange was still in the astral plane with Wanda, progressing through her visions. While he had detected Thor and Loki’s arrival and used his sling ring to send them to Norway, with his focus elsewhere he was oblivious to this threat. 

“Wanda…you have to let go of your doubts…of your fear. It is not the loss of the mind stone that has removed the block on your powers, it is you. You are capable of so much more, are stronger than you know. While I was trained by the Ancient One, and in her words had a natural affinity for the Mystic Arts, your powers have the potential to even eclipse mine. Mine were learned, yours, even though I have only scratched the surface to the depths of your powers, they still seem to be completely natural.”

“But how…?”

“No more questions. Your visions…they hold the key to defeating these coming threats. While you don’t know who they are, you know who is coming. You know what they will do, and while the rest of the Avengers and the Guardians will have to defend the Earth against the primary physical threats, you and I have will have a greater role to play.”

“What role, Doctor?”

“That’s a question. I can’t see the future, only the Ancient One could see possible futures. I can’t even say for certain the when and how of it, but you will know what your purpose will be when these attacks come. I will be there to help you in every way that I can.”

“As will I, we must recover the time stone from Thanos. The eye of Agamotto must be made whole once again.”

“Wong…I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Because I didn’t come in Stephen. I sensed you in the astral plane and decided to join you. I’m still in Kamar-Taj. You were so focused on helping Miss Maximoff that neither of you noticed an unknown entity entering Earth’s atmosphere.”

“Hostile?”

“Perhaps, it is unclear yet as to what their motives are. As soon as I sensed them, their very presence vanished as if it was never truly here. We must be wary, and Miss Maximoff, you must report this to the Avengers.”

Wanda wasn’t sure how to react to this new information. Her nightmares of these dark warriors were bad enough but to learn that both Wong and Dr. Strange were feeling uneasy amped the tension up to another level entirely. The last time her visions affected her in this manner was just before Thunderbolt Ross came to the compound with the Accords. In the next moment, Wong’s astral body disappeared in a flash of light, retuning her and Stephen to their physical forms.

“Wong is correct Wanda. I fear that your visions may soon come to pass. I know you’re terrified of what may happen, but you won’t be alone. While we do face dark days to come, you must not lose all hope. There is a way we may be able to contain if not eliminate this threat. When you return to the Sanctum, I will endeavor to educate you on the Mirror Dimension.”

As Wanda departed the Sanctum to report back to the Avengers, Nick Fury was also working out his own plan to stop the mad Titan. Everything that had been thrown at him thus far was swatted away like flies. Only his departure from Wakanda with the Black Order allowed for a minor victory. On the other hand of that was also the abduction of Rogers and Romanoff. The Avengers were still formidable, but Steve and Natasha were the heart that kept the team moving forward. Without them, though Gamora, Nebula, Drax and Hulk were powerful enough to take on Thanos, they were still all loose cannons with their own agendas. 

This knowledge left the former Director of SHIELD, a man seemed to be imperturbable, in a severe state of unease. He knew that a final showdown was inevitable, and without knowing if their enemy had acquired the remaining Infinity Stones, he was desperately in need of both a little hope and faith. An odd thought for someone who had always relied on his instincts. Fortunately as he was buried in his files, a beacon of light would appear as if in answer to an unspoken prayer.

“You know Fury, I may have been gone for nearly thirty years, but I would have thought after our battle with the Skrulls, you would have kept me in mind for any other potential alien invasions.”

Nick looked up upon hearing that voice. While she had been a decorated pilot in the Air Force, a chance accident made her powerful beyond belief, she appeared basically out of nowhere when the Skrull race came to Earth in their battle with the Kree. Now she was back, a sight for his sore eye.

“Carol Danvers…, has it really been that long? You don’t appear to have aged a day.”

“Blame that on the Kree physiology that altered my own D.N.A. But I was serious, a Chitauri invasion a few years back and I just find out about it now?”

“Well, you were in deep space; it isn’t like I had an interstellar communicator. Come on Danvers…, what about…”

Carol shakes her head, the alien she and Fury had encountered, the one responsible for protecting her from the Kree weapon and had therefore infused her with some of his abilities; was gone. She wasn’t even sure what had happened to him.

“Sorry Nick, he would have been a great ally. I’m Captain Marvel now, and I hear from both the Kree and the Skrulls that you have a Titan problem.”

“That’s putting it lightly. Thanos is a threat none of us have encountered before.”

“You have no idea. The Skrull told me that I was wasting my time in their war with the Kree when universal threats were rising…and before you ask…neither species cares. The Kree and Skrulls don’t want to get involved.”

“Even if they’re part of the universe as well?”

“Thanos is focused on Earth for the moment…they think he’s going to overlook them for the time being so they’re content to engage in their own petty squabbles.”

“Why am I not surprised. The threat of universal conquest affects us all…, anyway at last count Thanos had four Infinity Stones, and The Avengers are down two heroes right now.”

“So SHIELD finally got that Avengers Initiative thing off the ground huh? What happened to your two missing heroes?”

“Thanos took them as far as we know. Captain America and the Black Widow are presumed dead as they haven’t been seen in over six months now.”

Carol’s chuckle at remembering the Avengers Initiative ceased as her jaw dropped open in shock. As a child like every other she had learned about Captain America in the history books. But being away from Earth for so long she missed out on the Sokovia Accords and the fallout among the Avengers. What bothered her the most is that she wouldn’t be able to fight alongside the living legend for her home.

“I have to say Carol, your timing couldn’t have been better. Right now we need someone to lead the Avengers and bring back what we lost with Rogers and Romanoff being taken.”

“Count yourself lucky then, because I wouldn’t have made it back so soon without these Guardians of the Galaxy giving me a lift. Even met Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder he called himself. He wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.”

“He never is. Come with me, I think I should introduce you to the rest of the Avengers.”


	5. Preparing for the End

In the months since the battle for Wakanda, The Avengers and Guardians had gone about their routines, training and readying themselves for the next war with Thanos. While they refused to grow complacent, the endless waiting for him to return as they undoubtedly knew he would has made them restless and nearly resentful of each other. Nick Fury adding Captain Marvel into the mix only served to infuriate Tony and Peter Quill as they both tried to claim leadership of both factions. Eventually Bucky stepped forward and put an end to all the bickering as he took charge, partnering with Sam and Carol to begin strategizing their next moves and uniting the team.

“Look Stark, Quill…we’ve been at odds for far too long and all this useless infighting only serves to accomplish what Thanos wants. All of us divided so he can easily wipe the lot of us out in one fell swoop. We can’t afford to be in such a position when his next attack does occur.”

Peter couldn’t help but agree with Bucky’s logic and considering Carol and Sam, both of whom had extensive military expertise were backing the soldier up, he and the rest of the Guardians acquiesced. Tony however, was still unwilling to let go of the reins so easily.

“Who died and made you Captain America, Barnes? Why should any of us listen to you?”

Bucky inwardly flinched at Tony’s ill-timed retort, but kept a stoic face in light of the billionaire’s anger. Of course Sam was the one who exploded in a fit of emotion while the rest of the Avengers, Thor, Banner, Wanda, Clint, Peter Parker, even Tony’s best friend Rhodey all chose that moment to support Bucky and Carol.

“You know damn well who died for all of us; Tony! Steve and Natasha are dead, and you still can’t put aside your damn ego for even a second. If you want to continue this useless…”

“Sam, stop. Stark can’t help himself. Ego is what he’s best at. Look Tony, you don’t like me, and I sure as hell don’t like you. But you know what we need to do here. Hate me for your parent’s murders all you want, but remember that it was Steve who really brought us all back together. We need to do what he would want, and that is to avenge him and Natasha.”

Tony fell silent, but his anger was still simmering just under the surface as he stepped out of the room, just as Scott was retuning and brought with him a friend he had to introduce the rest of the team to.

“Ouch, looks like Tony’s still got his pants in a twist.”

“Not the time Lang…we’re…”

“Yeah, yeah Sam I get it. Doom and Gloom, end of the world and all…that’s why I brought someone who can help.”

“I don’t see anyone Scott. Are you sure that being Ant-Man hasn’t affected your brain?”

“Funny, but no…”

Scott paused as his previously unseen companion increased her size immediately and popped her helmet open, her laughter at Sam’s insult exploding from her lips.

“I like you…Sam is it? Scott says you call yourself the Falcon.”

“That’s right, so since we’re doing introductions, you are?”

“Hope Van Dyne, but you can call me The Wasp.”

As Sam introduced Hope to the rest of the teams, a portal opened up in the middle of the room courtesy of Dr. Strange. He had been back at his Sanctum researching spells with Wong that could counter the effects of the Infinity Stones. He had a different reason for appearing now and not earlier.

“Wanda…you’re needed. I’m going to show you the mirror dimension.”

As Wanda stepped through the portal created by the sling ring, Hope and Carol froze, neither of them expected what they had just seen, least of all Carol who had fought aliens and been infused with the D.N.A. of one.

“Who the hell was that…and how…?”

“That was Dr. Stephen Strange. You’ll get used to him, Carol. And he’s going to be extremely helpful in this fight.”

“Yeah, okay Sam. Let’s get back to business. We need to iron out the battle plan for when Thanos returns.”

As both teams moved to the Avengers Compound War Room, Bucky held back, catching both Scott and Hope’s attention. Tony’s words had hit him hard and though he had embraced the persona of White Wolf, the teams were going to need more from him, and he knew a way to inspire them and honor someone’s memory at the same time.

“What is it Barnes…we really should be in there.”

“And we will be…but I need your abilities Scott…both of yours.”

While Bucky laid out his plan, Dr. Strange and Wong were helping Wanda with her last lessons in control of her powers. Her magic was different than their own abilities, so the three of them were going to have to work together when the final battle commenced. 

“Have you had any more visions as of late Wanda?”

“None…whatever these two warriors are waiting for, it has all of us uneasy.”

“And it should, all of us need to be on guard for when Thanos and his Black Order return. I still believe and Wong agrees that our combined powers will be enough to keep your visions from coming to pass.”

“How?”

In answer to Wanda’s question, Stephen cast the spell that took the two of them into the mirror dimension. At first Wanda was disoriented due to the power she felt with her own. 

“The effects will pass momentarily Wanda. The mirror dimension is a place where nothing can cause harm to our world.”

“I can see Wong but…”

“He can’t see you unless he enters this place. The mirror dimension is a place where we can come to meditate, to practice spells, or to battle enemies without having an adverse effect on the real world. In here we can even contain threats, and escape is impossible without a sling ring.”

“So we will have control over all that occurs.”

“To an extent, sorcerers who connect to the Dark Dimension have greater control over the mirror dimension. Fortunately we will not be dealing with them. Now…attack me.”

“What?”

“Attack me. I want to teach you how to control you powers in here. It could mean the difference between life and death, and trust me; your life will depend on it.”

Stephen conjures weapons as Wanda unleashes her abilities to their fullest extent. The battle that they engage in is furious despite the novice nature they both share. She throws multiple hex bolts which he deflects before altering his weapon from a shield to a whip that pulls her off of her feet. The Scarlet Witch is not down for long as she directs the crimson energy towards her ankles, breaking his hold. Seeing that nothing has caused damage to the outside world, Wanda uses her mind to pick up small objects in the room and begins throwing them at Dr. Strange. 

“Good Wanda…don’t hold back. Because I can guarantee that these Black Order warriors won’t be merciful. Go right to the edge of your anger without letting it consume you. When you do you will find access to powers you didn’t even know you had, and the control will come.”

Wanda eagerly followed Dr. Strange’s advice, and remembered the pain and hurt she felt when Pietro died in Sokovia. Using that to her advantage she found her strength and suddenly she was on the offensive with Stephen falling back into defense. Tables, lamps, chairs, anything she could feel with her mind began to move, the more she concentrated, the faster the attacks came. Finally both stopped, hands gripping their knees as they caught their breath.

“Excellent Wanda…your powers are truly remarkable. There were a few times there you nearly took my head off.”

“I’m sorry…I guess I just…”

“Don’t apologize. Mercy is what separates us from the enemy, but these ones…they won’t hesitate to kill you…us…if we don’t do what we have to. Now come on…you should rest and regain your strength. We’ll all need it sooner than we think.”

Stephen and Wanda stepped through the portal back into the Sanctum from the mirror dimension. She was surprised to see that everything had remained exactly as it was in the outside world. And she was even more surprised to see Wong smirking.

“Something funny Wong?”

“No…I’m proud of you. Even though I could not see your battle, I could feel your powers rippling through all the dimensions. You are more powerful than you know.”

Wanda slowly walked towards the room she had been staying in when at the Sanctum. When she was out of earshot, Wong’s grin turned to a slight frown.

“She is extremely powerful Stephen, I’m sure you felt it. Her strength is tied to the mind stone, and she could potentially be an even greater threat than Thanos.”

“She’s a kid; Wong. An immensely powerful kid yes, but if she has the proper training, with experienced teachers…”

“I am saying she should be watched carefully when this is all over. Chaos magic should never be taken lightly.”

“Chaos what?”

“Something the Ancient One did not believe to exist. There was more in the Book Of Cagliostro then just incantations to summon Dormammu. Again, something we will discuss after the war with Thanos.”

While Earth’s heroes discussed their plans to save the universe, Zayne and Nylora were monitoring everything aboard their jump ship. Thanos had equipped their vessel with the technology needed to hack into all of the planet’s communications and Nylora was currently compiling the data to transmit to Thanos’ ship, stationed and waiting for the time to descend as a vulture would upon dying prey.

“The humans are even more pathetic than Lord Thanos initially believed. They have allowed themselves to fall into complacency. Their faith in the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy is misplaced and foolish.”  
“And that will cost them their lives, Nylora. Earth will fall and soon the universe with it. None will be left alive to stand against Thanos and the Black Order.”

“And Earth will be ours once our victory is assured. Father has promised the planet to us for our loyal service. Our rule will begin with the blood of the Avengers.”

Sinister laughter fell from the throats of Zayne and Nylora as they contemplated their impending victory. Only Dr. Strange and Wanda Maximoff had other ideas and would personally stand against them. The war was not yet over.


	6. Conquest

“Warlord, KillShadow, report.”

Thanos’ voice boomed over the communications array in the jump ship. He had given his children time enough to assess Earth’s meager defenses and the state of their adversaries and now wished to commence with his final conquest of the planet. Unbeknownst to the Black Order, the Titan had one last card to play that would guarantee his victory, and he was anxious to reveal his true power to the world beneath him.

“Earth is ready to fall, father. We have been stationed on the planet observing for a week now. These heroes who continuously defy us have no idea that we are even here. They are weak, and will stand little chance of defeating the Black Order.”

“Excellent, my daughter. Ready yourselves for war. Your brothers, sister and I will join you on the planet below within the next Earth hour. The humans will fall to us, and you will have your vengeance against the Avengers for their treatment of you.”

“We await your arrival, Lord Thanos. You will walk through the blood of our enemies as Earth becomes ours.”

They couldn’t see his face, but Zayne and Nylora knew Thanos was smiling as he closed off the communications. He knew they would be donning their armor and his sadistic smile was one of complete satisfaction that he had two of his enemies completely devoted to his service. They were ready to kill for him and die to protect him should the need arise, so any trepidations the Titan had of the Avengers discovering them and restoring the memories of Steve and Natasha were quickly pushed away as he commanded his pilots.

“Take us to Earth, I am ready for war. Corvus, awaken the rest of our soldiers. Our impending victory is at hand.”

“As you command, Lord Thanos.”

When the Black Order had launched their initial assault on Wakanda, they only brought one third of the Titan’s army with them. As such, the Avengers and Guardians would be facing the full might of that army with no chance of leaving this second battle alive. And both Corvus and Proxima were as pleased as their Master knowing that two of the Avengers own would be leading the attack, without even knowing it. With the vessel underway, Thanos returned to his quarters to retrieve his most powerful weapon, placing it in the gauntlet as he too readied himself for war.

Back at the Avengers compound, the teams were suiting up before finalizing their strategy for when Thanos arrives. None of them had any idea he was already on his way, but they had planned for the moment and decided to be ready at first sign of a threat. This came sooner than they thought as Maria Hill detected an unknown bogey entering Earth’s atmosphere.

“What is it Hill?”

“Not sure, Carol, but it’s big. If it’s Thanos, we don’t have much time. Better get to it.”

“All right Avengers, Guardians…you heard the lady, we’ve got a battle headed our way. Thor, I need you and the Guardians to accompany me towards the potential hostile. Sam, Barnes…, where’s Barnes?” 

Bucky, Scott and Hope had been executing his plan when alarms sounded out through the compound. Ten minutes after Maria had seen the vessel show up on trackers, they had confirmation of Thanos’ arrival. Scott and Hope quickly ran to join the other heroes while Bucky was suiting up. As it was, he could have gone into this battle as the White Wolf, but chose instead to be the inspiration the Avengers desperately needed. During his stay at the compound he had studied Tony’s movements and discovered a secret room.

“Thanos is here, we’re out of time…wherever the hell Barnes is, he better be ready to…”

“I’m right here, Danvers. Let’s get this done.”

All eyes turned towards Bucky’s voice as he entered the room. Not a single member of the Avengers or Guardians had expected the sight before them. Even Tony, who now knew he had been spied on by the former Winter Soldier, couldn’t let his anger show, even if he wanted to.

“Barnes…that uniform and shield…they don’t belong to you.”

“Too bad Stark…Steve’s not here to wear the uniform or wield the shield. Just this once, I’m Captain America.”

Except for Tony, every warrior was impressed at the red, white and blue uniform clad man standing in front of them. Bucky exuded confidence and a drive to do what they all knew Steve would have done if he was here. The Avengers and Guardians as well as the rest of Earth needed a symbol to look up to, now more than ever, the world needed Captain America, and Bucky knew in his heart, that he needed Captain America.

“Okay, we’re all set. Let’s show Thanos that Earth is not the planet of cowards and weaklings he thinks it is. Avengers…”

Before Sam could finish, a sling ring portal opened in the middle of the room, with Dr. Strange, Wanda and Wong stepping through from the New York Sanctum. All of the heroes were now in the same place, and ready for war. 

“Maria…what’s the ETA on our bogey?”

“He’s here, coordinates put Thanos in an open space just across the border of the U.S. and Canada.”

“I can sense him…and the warriors I told you about in my visions. Doctor…”

“Wait Wanda…you’re not just facing Thanos, or just the Black Order…he’s got warriors by the thousands. I’m reading multiple life signs exiting his vessel. We may not be able to win this battle.”

“If we lose, we do it as a team. Steve and Natasha gave their lives to try and stop him, we can do no different. Quill, get that ship of yours in the air. Clint, get us a Quinjet ready for takeoff. Even if we lose, we’ll make Thanos regret coming to Earth.”

“On it Carol. Avengers, Guardians…”

“Enough with the battle cries Barton…I think we’re inspired enough.”

“Way to kill the moment Stark…let’s go.”

“I am Groot.”

“You’re right Groot, Stark does have the biggest ego in the universe, even compared to Quill.”

Rocket’s snarky comment was the last thing said as the two teams split up for their vessels. Dr. Strange and Wong joined the Avengers on their Quinjet with Wanda as their part in the plan was one of the most important. The rest of the teams would focus on Thanos, his army and the Black Order while Stephen and Wanda went after the Titan’s two Generals she saw in her visions.

At the landing site, Thanos’ pilot detected the ships inbound. The Titan didn’t need the report of who was coming to confront him, he already knew. He stood there in full armor, the gauntlet with five Infinity Stones on one hand and his other clenched in a fist, hiding his other weapon. Standing with him were the Black Order, Corvus, Proxima, Cull and Ebony flanking him while Warlord and KillShadow stood at his right and left sides. Both of them were intimidating in their black armor, helmet and mask concealing all but their eyes and her black and crimson hair, whipping in the wind as the Avengers and Guardians made their final approach.

“Hawkeye, open the rear hatch, we’re going down to meet the enemy, face to face.”

“Go get ‘em, make Steve proud Bucky. We’ll be right behind you.”

Bucky secured the helmet strap under his chin as he jumped from the Quinjet. He was quickly followed by Iron Man, War Machine, Captain Marvel, Thor and Banner who transformed into the Hulk on the way towards the ground. Sam, Dr. Strange, Wanda, Wong, Peter, Scott and Hope departed as soon as the jet touched down. As soon as the jet was clear, Clint launched back into the air to provide cover fire for the rest of the Avengers. 

As they watched from their own ship, Peter led his team out while Kraglin remained in the pilot’s seat. Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket and Nebula used Rocket’s aero-packs to take to the skies as Drax and Groot jumped, preferring not to be outdone by any of the Avengers. Thanos and the Black Order watched, thoroughly unimpressed with the heroes attempted show of bravery. 

“Nothing has changed since our last battle Avengers, except for the fact that the heart of your team has fallen by my hand. Rogers and Romanoff are dead, what chance could you possibly have against me now?”

“Hey Purple People Eater…are you done with your monologue, because we heard all of this the last time.”

The combined teams of Avengers and Guardians collectively rolled their eyes at Tony’s attempts to annoy Thanos. They were united in the battle, and taunting the Titan was not the best idea going into a war where none of them could survive. Thanos only chuckled as Warlord was the first to speak.

“The arrogance of this one…I will enjoy killing him first.”

“Bring me his head Warlord; his armor will make a fine addition to my trophy room.”

“As you command, Lord Thanos.”

Warlord and KillShadow led the charge with the rest of the Black Order and their army following close behind. Even Ebony Maw chose to engage in combat. Though he was not a physical warrior, the thought of engaging their mystics, specifically Dr. Strange once again, intrigued him. Only the Titan remained on the hill they had ascended. His army would take the opening salvo of this war and if their enemies should gain the upper hand, only then would he intervene.

The united heroes took battle ready stances as they watched the enemy start to charge. Those capable of flight took to the skies. Iron Man and War Machine were the first, followed by Star-Lord, Captain Marvel, Falcon and Thor. Spider-Man shot out a web-line towards Iron Man’s right boot, then used his agility to kick the first few aliens off their feet. When the first two went down, the war erupted in extreme violence. Per the plan, Hulk barreled over anyone who got in his way as Drax, Gamora and Nebula followed behind him. They all wanted a chance at Thanos, all three wanted him dead.

Warlord had tracked Iron Man’s flight pattern and caught a vulnerable opening. With deadly accuracy he threw his shield up, the serrated edge cutting into the armor, but not enough to bring the red and gold clad hero down. Bucky was engaging in combat with his own enemy and snapped the threat’s neck just before seeing the black shield fly. He knew of only one person who could throw with that accuracy, and for a brief minute time stood still as he watched the warrior’s movements.

James Barnes could tell in that moment who he thought was under that armor. The fluidity of motion, the unparalleled agility, with a flash of memory he was remembering the battle in D.C. when he was still the Winter Soldier. But he didn’t have enough time to prove his theory as two more of Thanos’ army attacked him. Quickly shaking his head, he forgot about the memory and remembered Steve was dead, and if he didn’t keep his head in the game, he would be as well.

Across the battlefield, Dr. Strange, Wanda and Wong were using all their skills with magic to fend off their adversaries. The two masters of the Mystic Arts used their sling rings to send their own opponents into space. While they fought, both kept an eye on Wanda as she completely surrendered to her chaos magic. Her eyes had become consumed by the crimson energy, as violent hex bolts destroyed everyone in her path. Eventually she was standing there, not even out of breath with her enemies dying on the ground around her. In this moment, Ebony Maw approached her, applauding her abilities. 

“Well done child, you indeed have great strength. You have put your abilities to excellent use, but you must realize that your defeat is inevitable. The Avengers, The Guardians, will all die. But you can live…you can have access to far more power than you could ever dream of here on Earth. You know of what I speak. Join Thanos and live like a Goddess.”

Maw was using all of his skills at manipulation to sway Wanda into denouncing the Avengers and joining the Black Order. When he had corrupted Steve and Natasha, he also had the benefit of the mind stone at his disposal. This time he was on his own, and Wanda saw through his attempts, her powers once again exploding violently as she invaded his mind.

“You were foolish to try and convert me, Ebony Maw. I see right through you. Dr. Strange was correct, the mind stone did not give me my powers…it unlocked them.”

The Scarlet Witch was in full control of Maw’s mind as she searched through his twisted psyche. She saw the terror he had committed in Thanos’ name. She saw him using the mind stone to manipulate…

“No…it cannot be…”

Wanda withdrew for a moment as she watched Maw torturing Steve and Natasha through his memories. She could feel the pain her friends felt as who they were was stripped away. Thinking she knew the full truth, she pushed back in, her powers shutting Maw down, but leaving him alive. She then turned to see Warlord and KillShadow engaged in violent combat. The former had regained his deadly black shield and was mercilessly beating Bucky who could barely block the savage attacks. As for KillShadow, she was using her wrist gauntlets to blast everything in sight, regardless of whether they were her enemies or not.

In that moment Wanda launched herself across the distance towards who she now knew was a corrupted Natasha. Her powers were at their peak, and she knew of only one way to restore her friend from the dark place she had been sent to. Using her telekinesis, Wanda ripped the mask from her enemy’s face, and though the eyes she saw were pitch black, consumed by evil, the face was still Natasha’s. With little choice, and knowing how much what she was about to do would hurt the both of them, the Scarlet Witch placed her hands on either side of the Widow’s head and pushed into her skull with a burst of pure raged fueled magic.

KillShadow had been about to fire her gauntlet at Wanda from point blank range when she had the opportunity. The discharge would have killed the girl immediately if not for her sensing the attack. Two minds were battling for supremacy in the fractured mind of KillShadow. One was Nylora, Thanos’ loyal daughter, and the other was Natasha Romanoff, desperately trying to regain control as Wanda latched on to her true identity.

“Natasha…you have to stop! Thanos did this to you…you are not Nylora Shade, not his General of the Black Order known as KillShadow either!”

All three women were mentally inhabiting one body, the stress of the three causing immense pain as Natasha battled her evil counterpart. Wanda could only watch, for all her power, helpless to assist her friend. Soon enough Natasha began gaining the upper hand as her years of espionage and combat experience began to counter what Nylora thought she knew. But it was only briefly as the General of the Black Order was far more ruthless than the Black Widow, and the tide turned in her favor. 

“Wanda; help me!”

Natasha screamed for her friend as KillShadow overwhelmed her, pushing back with a strength she hadn’t yet exhibited in the physical world. Wanda tried to assist, but even as he was unconscious, Ebony Maw’s abilities were still empowering the Black Order assassin. When she took Natasha down, Wanda was forcibly expelled from the shared mind of the two women and pushed back into her own body. Her hands were still on Natasha’s head, radiating power as she regained her composure.

“Natasha…?”

KillShadow stood there, unmoving as if in a trance while under Wanda’s control. For a moment the girl thought that even though she was no longer inside her friend’s mind, the battle was still raging and she could only hope Natasha had taken back control.

“Natasha…can you hear me?”

Sinister laughter burst forth from KillShadow’s throat, her black eyes glaring at the Scarlet Witch. When the laughter abated a grim smile appeared on the assassin’s lips as she spoke, her voice even more malevolent than before.

“Foolish child…Natasha Romanoff is dead. You and the Avengers will fall to Lord Thanos. All your efforts were for nothing as only KillShadow, daughter of the Titan remains.”

“It’s a pity you couldn’t see the truth, Wanda. Thanos would have given you more power than you could possibly imagine. Had you served him as Warlord and I do, the universe would bow at your feet. No matter…time for you to die.”

KillShadow once again smiled her pure evil grin as she pressed the palm trigger on her gauntlet, but no blast came. Confused and enraged, she tried again, but still nothing happened. In the moment she thought she was going to die, Wanda saw a flash of green replace the black of her enemy’s eyes. She knew she hadn’t failed, and Natasha was still fighting.

“You can’t win Romanoff…I’m stronger than you. Thanos granted me…granted us true freedom! Let me kill Maximoff! We can stay with the Black Order forever; rule this pathetic planet in the name of Thanos!”

“Thanos is a tyrant; he lives to bring only death and destruction. What kind of life is that, Nylora?”

“One of power, I’ve seen your crimes Natasha. You pretend to be better, but your soul is stained with more blood than mine could ever be. Think about your future, no one will ever trust you…your heart is just as black as mine is. Remain with Thanos; he will never judge you for the darkness of your soul. Embrace your dark side! Rule as a Queen!”

“That’s where you’re wrong Nylora…Steve and the Avengers trust me. They’re my real family. I learned to live with the death and pain I caused years ago. I look at you and see everything I pledged my life to fight against.”

“Natasha…you can’t beat me…”

“Sorry KillShadow…I already have. Wanda…do it now!”

Wanda had been restrained on the ground as she listened to Natasha and Nylora verbally sparring, the time she was down allowing her to focus her powers to their fullest extent. A violent explosion of crimson energy threw KillShadow off of the Witch’s body, the assassin landing fifteen feet away. Wanda could see her body thrashing and knew that the internal war between Natasha and Nylora was not yet finished. With her faith in the Black Widow, Wanda used her powers to restrain the assassin’s body as to give Natasha a fighting chance to win. Eventually she passed out from the strain, and the Scarlet Witch could only hope that when she woke, KillShadow would be gone.

Thanos had been watching the entirety of the war in sadistic joy. He saw Wanda defeat Ebony Maw, and believed she would be a worthy member of his army when his victory was assured. Even the Scarlet Witch’s defeat of KillShadow was a momentary setback. The rest of his army still had the upper hand, and the Black Order was close to beating their enemies. Corvus was fighting Drax, the latter falling back. Gamora was locked in combat with Cull Obsidian, and Nebula was fighting a losing effort to Proxima Midnight. This left the Hulk charging at the Titan, and Thanos knew it was time to play his last hand.

He slowly opened his clenched fist, revealing the Soul Stone within and immediately placed it in the open receptacle of the Gauntlet. As the Infinity Stones united, a burst of power exploded outward, throwing all combatants off their feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many theories about Infinity War, especially regarding the soul stone. While it is highly unlikely that Thanos has had the soul stone all this time, with the way Marvel has kept this a secret worthy of Nick Fury, it would be interesting to see that the stone has been in the possession of the Titan all this time. Read and review, please let me know what you think, and look forward to the end of this story coming soon.


	7. Titan's Victory

All the warriors on the battlefield were still reeling from the force of power the Infinity Stones unleashed after being separated for millennia. Slowly, they all struggled to their feet waiting to see what Thanos would do next. With the power over all of reality in his hands, there was no telling what the Titan could do or would choose to accomplish. Dr. Strange and Wong had stayed as close to Wanda as possible throughout her battle with KillShadow, knowing that her fight would be a catalyst for the rest of the war. Even while battling their own enemies, the two sorcerers inched closer to the Scarlet Witch, hoping to provide her with protection should she be put on the losing end. Now, everyone, Avenger, Guardian and Black Order watched as Thanos adopted a despotic grin.

“You so-called heroes have fought valiantly, in a war that you were destined to lose from the beginning. You have no hope, no future; Death has come for you all.”

Thanos’ voice reverberated like thunder across the open plains. The Black Order knew their victory was at hand and could see the fear on the faces of their foes. With only moments to act, Dr. Strange and Wong cast the mirror dimension spell, pulling Wanda and her downed enemy in with them. They could only hope it would be enough to protect them.

The power of the Gauntlet and Thanos’ will unleashed hurricane force winds across the land. Once again the combatants were swept from their feet in the onslaught. He could see all of time and space, everything that had happened and all possible futures and began bending reality to his will. His first act was to correct what he saw as an error of a war for the Tesseract. The battle on the Valkyrie was just the first time humanity had encountered an Infinity Stone. HYDRA used the cube to attempt worldwide domination. Their goals were foolish and limited in scope to the Titan.

With control over all, Thanos altered the events of that fateful battle. Red Skull was still seemingly killed, but with his machinations, the Titan used his power to transport Steve to the deepest regions of space, his memory suppressed as he woke at Thanos’ feet. With this change, Warlord remained in the present with the rest of the Black Guard.

The next change saw The Avengers cast backwards through time, back to the day of the Chitauri invasion. Since Natasha was still in the mirror dimension she was unaffected by the time shift and never went to Calcutta to recruit Bruce or to cognitively recalibrate Clint. This left Tony and Thor to fight the entire invasion. Since Steve was never found by SHIELD and without Captain America to lead them, the two had their own ideas as to how they would succeed in the war. 

Iron Man still flew into the mouth of the leviathan, and was successful in destroying it, though his armor was shredded beyond use as the explosion threw him violently to the ground. And Thor, he still tried to reason with Loki, only to be beaten and be the first to bear witness to the arrival of Thanos and the Black Order.

As for the others Avengers: Spider-Man, Falcon, Bucky, Ant-Man, Black Panther, War Machine, and The Wasp, they were all sent back to their own lives prior. Scott was back in jail, Hope had just voted with Darren Cross to oust Hank, falling in love with the new C.E.O. in the process. Peter Parker was still bitten by the radioactive spider but immediately went underground as having superpowers made him a threat to Loki and the Titan. 

Rhodey was still War Machine, but had to join a resistance that was building to reclaim Earth. Sam left para-rescue after Riley died to join a covert black ops team set on saving civilians from Chitauri kill squads. Captain Marvel was transported back to deep space into the Kree-Skrull war. T’Challa was still Crown Prince of a Wakanda that refused to reveal itself to the outside world, and Bucky got the worst of it, all his freedom, his memories regained, all erased in an instant as he was sent back to Siberia, still the Winter Soldier in service to HYDRA.

Back in the present, Thanos had warped reality to serve his sadistic pleasures. Earth’s skies turned red, and the ground turned black as death. Standing by his side were the Black Order, Gamora, and Nebula. Gamora had still gone to Xandar to retrieve the Power Stone, killed Star-Lord and escaped as Groot and Rocket were arrested. Drax remained in the Kyln, a prisoner for the rest of his days. However, that wasn’t all that Thanos changed; his daughters had remained loyal to him, bringing him the Power Stone after executing Ronan for his planned betrayal. 

As the new reality began to settle, Earth was drastically altered. With Loki’s victory, Thanos’ alterations solidified as he had come to the planet and enslaved the people. Now in the field where he and his warriors had battled in the former timeline, a castle stood with a statue to Lady Death. Here is where he ruled the subjugated planet and only he remembered what came before his victory.

As Thanos altered reality itself, Dr. Strange, Wanda and Wong were still inside the mirror dimension with an unconscious KillShadow or they hoped a restored Natasha Romanoff when she woke up. It was difficult to say at this point who she would be when she came to, if a threat, they would still be in danger, and if a friend, a chance at restoring their reality once they could see what Thanos had done. Either way, they had to exit the mirror dimension to learn what fate had befallen the world. As they stepped through the sling ring portal with Wanda telekinetically moving their enemy, what they saw was far worse than what they expected.

“This…Dr. Strange…what has Thanos done? Why did you lock us in the mirror dimension when we should have been out here fighting?”

Wanda’s eyes took on a red hue as her anger threatened to explode. Her home, her world, all of her friends were lost and she was ready to lash out with her powers at the sorcerer standing in front of her.

“Wanda, don’t let your anger get the better…”

“Don’t you dare tell me how to feel! Thanos has conquered everything! And all that remains are three of us to…!”

“Wanda, Stephen is correct, as was his choice to take us to the mirror dimension. Had we remained here in the real world we would have been lost as well, then no one would be able to stand against Thanos…” 

“I hear you Wong, but that does not make this any easier! Three of us are not enough to undo what that monster has done…”

Wanda’s diatribe was interrupted as KillShadow started stirring on the ground, moans of pain escaping her lips as she slowly regained consciousness. For the moment, Stephen, Wanda and Wong ceased their argument and armed themselves with mystical weapons should they be attacked. Only the sorcerers kept their guard up as their enemy spoke.

“Ugh…still feel like a freight train ran over me…”

“Natasha…?

Wanda immediately recognized that the voice belonged to her friend as all the animosity and violent timbre of KillShadow’s had faded. Natasha Romanoff was recovering from her prolonged ordeal and as her eyes slowly fluttered open, they were the clear natural green they should be and not the black of Ebony Maw’s control over her.

“Wanda…where are we? Why do I feel like I’ve been…”

“Stay calm Natasha. There is a lot to explain. First tell me what you remember.”

“I remember the battle in Wakanda…fighting Proxima Midnight…and then waking up on Thanos’ ship. But…”

Natasha quickly takes in their surroundings as she shakily gets to her feet. The skies are still blood red and soon enough her memories all hit her in a flash.

“Steve…where’s Steve? Does Thanos still have him…is he still under Maw’s control? How did you get me back from the KillShadow persona that Thanos turned me into?”

“You remember everything?”

“I really wish I didn’t Wanda. I was partly responsible for this…Thanos’ victory…Earth’s altered reality…I would have killed you all in his name.”

“But you’re free now; Miss Romanoff. Thanos no longer has any control over you. And it seems you remember the world the way it was before. That does give us an advantage.”

“What possible advantage could that give us? We’re only four against Thanos and the Black Order. And who are you anyway?”

“I am Wong.”

“Wong…just one name…like Madonna?”

Wong rolled his eyes at Natasha’s comment. They hadn’t met before the war began and he was slightly annoyed at her reaction as he had been when he first met Stephen. Before he could retort, Wanda spoke again, saving them all from an awkward situation with the fate of all reality hanging in the balance.

“Bickering won’t solve anything. And Natasha is correct, the four of us are not enough to take on Thanos. Dr. Strange, is there…”

“I have an idea of what you’re thinking Wanda, and without the Time and Reality Stones, we can’t undo any of this. And to go into Thanos’ stronghold, we would face certain death.”

“But we have to fight, we were protected in the mirror dimension, we have to do something.”

“We have to keep up hope, Wanda. We will fight, but we’re going to need help. I just might know a place where we can find it.”

“Where, Miss Romanoff?”

“Okay Wong, first off, call me Natasha, and secondly, we have to go to D.C.”

“For what purpose Natasha? What could we find there?”

“With luck Wanda; whatever remains of SHIELD.”

“How do you know we’ll find any of that?”

“I’m a spy, Stephen. And SHIELD always found a way to survive, even against overwhelming odds.”

The four quickly hashed out a plan that would see them split up, Dr. Strange and Natasha would head for Washington D.C. while Wong and Wanda returned to New York and the Sanctum. The Capitol wasn’t the only place they had to go, while unlikely, it is possible that at least Tony was still Iron Man and could devise some tech to help them infiltrate Thanos’ palace. What they were to find upon reaching their destinations would be nothing of what they expected. Perhaps even more worryingly, the four heroes had not been as safe in the mirror dimension as they had thought.

Their journeys were made all the more difficult as Thanos had his warriors everywhere, forcing them to hide in abandoned buildings that barely qualified as shelter, let alone protection. Their respective travels took days bordering on weeks until both teams reached New York and D.C. Under the cover of night, Natasha and Stephen reached what remained of the Triskelion. Much of the former SHIELD headquarters had been destroyed and fashioned into a statue of Thanos.

“This is so much worse than what HYDRA did when Steve and I found out they infiltrated SHIELD.”

“Natasha…we cannot afford to dwell on what happened in our original reality. We must focus on the here and now. If any of SHIELD still exists, it is up to us to find them and gain their trust as well as their assistance.”

“I know that Doc…I don’t need you to remind me of the current state of our world.”

“I was simply stating…”

Natasha quickly clamped a hand over the sorcerer’s mouth, silencing him. There were sounds she heard coming from both the left and right of their present location. The voices she heard were clearly alien and if they came across the spy and sorcerer’s location, the two would be dead in seconds. As the armored footsteps got closer, weapons were fired off; Natasha heard them loud and clear because she has been trained to listen. She heard the whistling of arrows and the clicks of silenced firearms. Alien screams followed the initial attacks as the sounds of laser fire erupted into the night sky. Soon enough silence fell again as she and Stephen emerged from their concealment, looking down at multiple bodies of Chitauri, then being surrounded by the team that took the hostiles down.

“Hands up, drop your weapons.”

The voice was modulated so neither Natasha nor Stephen could tell who was in front of them. Only the person’s eyes were visible, and those held a deadly gleam that brokered neither mercy or compassion. All they could do was comply.

“Blindfold them, they look human, but I’m not taking any chances. We need to get back to base before more of Thanos’ kill squads show up.”

The last thing Natasha saw before being blindfolded was the quiver and bow on the back of her captor, and she thought the compound bow looked intensely familiar. Likewise the last thing her captor saw was the red and black markings over her left eye, while it was true her armored uniform didn’t match Thanos’ main army, he wasn’t taking any chances, his suspicions on high alert as all of the Titan’s human enforcers bore the same markings.


	8. Decimation

Wanda and Wong had reached New York via old-fashioned methods. Wong had wanted to use his sling ring, but he and Stephen had decided it would court to much attention. So they drove in a car Wanda unlocked and started up with her powers. Their first stop was New York City to check the status of the Sanctum. What they found when they got there was that nothing remained. Buildings had fallen, wreckage of cars was everywhere. And the city itself was nothing more than a desolate ghost town. For miles around they could see the results of the Chitauri Invasion. Alien and human bodies littered the streets. The pair could only hope that Natasha and Stephen were having better luck in D.C.

“I cannot believe what I am seeing. It has only been a few years since the Invasion of New York. How could the city have fallen into such decay so fast?”

“The Avengers failed in repelling the invasion, Wong. That is what I see. Steve once told me that the former World Security Council launched a nuke into Manhattan. Tony risked his life to direct the missile into the portal created by the Tesseract. If Thanos altered those events…”

“Not if, Wanda…when Thanos altered those events, this is what was left. Without Stark and The Avengers to overcome their enemies…”

“Then the Council launched the nuke anyway. We have to get out of here…there could be enough radiation to kill us if we remain here for too long.”

“The Sanctum…”

“Was most likely destroyed Wong. Delaying here will do us no good.”

“Then where will we go?”

“Upstate. There have to be some survivors that made it out. And if the Avengers compound is still standing we will find shelter and safety.”

“If it even is an Avengers compound. How do we know that Thanos hasn’t taken the whole area for himself?”

“We do not…but winning this war and restoring our reality is worth the risk. It is our only option.”

With no choice in the matter, Wanda turned their borrowed car north towards where she hoped the Compound would still be. Their drive took hours with nothing to see as the entire state seemed lifeless. Finally, their journey came to an abrupt end as Wanda pulled up in front of a solitary building where the Avengers Compound should have been. The structure showed signs of damage, having no doubt been attacked along with the rest of New York, it seemed to be still standing as if it was held together with whatever construction materials could be salvaged, but there was still a massive hole in the structure that definitely spoke of the war. 

Wanda and Wong’s hope of survivors or potential allies was quickly fading until they both caught the scent of a fire going. When they could see the smoke, they followed it around to the rear of the complex, only to find one man, sitting and warming his hands. Wong immediately suspected a threat and prepared for battle until Wanda calmed him. She couldn’t be one hundred percent sure of his identity, but the man did seem familiar. He had a head full of disheveled long white hair and he was muttering to himself in a language she was extremely familiar with. As she slowly approached his position, taking great care not to startle him, she knelt down and really looked at his facial features. He didn’t even look up, ignoring her presence as if she wasn’t there. It was only when Wanda spoke in their native tongue that he really saw her.

“Pietro?”

Her voice immediately shocked the young man back into awareness. He stopped rubbing his hands together in front of the fire and slowly looked up. He hadn’t heard her voice in twenty years, they had been seven when their parents were killed by Stark Industries weaponry, and when he couldn’t find her in the ruins of their building he feared that she had perished as well. 

Pietro Maximoff suddenly found himself alone in the world and did whatever he could to survive. Years of living life on the run kept him lean and somewhat malnourished. He spent his life moving from place to place until Thanos arrived. He watched as the world burned around him only to seek refuge at a warehouse owned by the man responsible for his entire family’s deaths. As his eyes focus, he can’t believe she is in front of him.

“No…no…no…, you cannot be…Wanda you were…”

Fear and confusion rolled off of Wanda’s twin brother, hitting her in waves. He was a storm of emotions, crashing like thunder and lightning against her consciousness. He was projecting his thoughts so violently that she placed both hands on her head to try and block the images, but they wouldn’t abate even as she used her powers to try and calm both of their minds. Her powers were on the verge of a violent release when a smoke bomb landed in front of her and Wong, causing the two of them to erupt in explosive coughs and eyes that teared up. Through her hazy vision Wanda could just make out a man flying down. He had a gas mask covering his face, and quickly placed one over her brother’s face as well. Just before she passed out, the Scarlet Witch barely saw wings on the man’s back, and instantly knew who he was. The smoke inhibited her breathing and she could barely croak out his name.

“S…S…Sam…?”

With Wong and Wanda now both unconscious, Sam called into his team, letting them know he had captives, one of whom seemed to know him. Pietro still stood there in shock at the sight of his long lost thought dead sister as the smoke cleared and another of their companions landed behind them.

“Who are they, Sam? How did they know about Tony’s old warehouse?”

“No idea, Rhodes. But the girl seemed to know me…and she seemed to know Pietro. The other one…not sure why he came here with the girl. But we better get them underground before any Chitauri or worse show up.”

Rhodes picked up Wong and carried him towards the secret elevator that would take to the lower levels of their hideout while Sam picked up Wanda, followed closely by Pietro. He knew that once they were inside he would be berated for being outside, but he could deal with that in an easier manner than the girl pretending to be his sister. Upon reaching the underground bunker, Wanda and Wong were both placed on gurneys and taken to clean rooms where they could recover. When they woke up, they would be interrogated thoroughly for information on who they were and if they were working for Thanos. In the control room, Sam clapped their computer genius on the shoulder.

“Nice going Parker, your computer savvy and spider-sense were right on the money this time.”

“Sam…”

“Don’t listen to him Peter, both of your sets of abilities have always been invaluable. Sam’s just thanking you in his own way.”

“Thanks Rhodey. Any idea who our mystery guests are?”

“Not yet, but if they are Agents of Thanos, they’re going to regret coming here.”

With that, Sam and Rhodes walked away, leaving Peter to get back to his work of monitoring their surroundings before walking into the office where they had to report back what they had found outside the compound.

“Rhodes, Wilson…talk to me.”

“Two possible hostiles were outside the compound. They knew the location, how remains to be seen until they recover from the smoke bomb…”

“I know, I was monitoring the situation with Parker. Not what I was talking about. Are they members of Thanos’ army?”

“They don’t bear any markings of being his human enforcers. But we have been deceived by them before. The girl though…she knew me…and she knew Pietro.”

“Curious, Wilson. Rhodes, we got word from the team in D.C. They also got two unknowns outside the remains of the Triskelion. One of whom does bear the markings of Thanos. I’ll need you to go assess the situation. But do not be seen. Monitor and report back.”

“Got it Carter. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

As Rhodes departed, his War Machine armor retracted inside his body. Tony had been developing nanites that were injectable into the blood stream, allowing the wearer to truly become one with the suit. He had dubbed it Bleeding Edge and had only just finished it before the Battle of New York. With his defeat, it was rumored Tony died in the battle and never got to fully test the newest Iron Man armor. With one last attempt to save Earth, he downloaded JARVIS into his facility in upstate New York. The A.I. had all the specifications for the armor and a failsafe program linked to the War Machine armor. This allowed him to communicate with Rhodes as he had done with Tony. It was JARVIS who completed the Vision protocol which brought Bleeding Edge online.

“Penny for your thoughts, Wilson?”

“What, you’re psychic now, Sharon?”

“No, but you’ve got that look on your face.”

“You can’t even see…”

“Don’t need to. I’m a former SHIELD agent, trained by the best. And don’t forget that my Aunt Peggy was the Director. You were tense the moment you walked into the room. I could hear it in your footsteps. What’s bothering you?”

“That girl…whoever she is, she knows me. She knows Pietro. I guess I just can’t shake this feeling that there’s a reason she’s here. And I can’t explain it…but in my gut I know she and her companion aren’t minions of Thanos.”

“Well, your instincts haven’t been wrong before. I guess we’ll find out when they wake up.”

Back in D.C., Natasha and Stephen had been unceremoniously loaded into the back of a van by their captors. Dr. Strange had remained non-verbal the entire time, and Natasha actually found it helpful. In the war she had learned he was as talkative if not more so than Tony, which is no easy feat. With his silence, though blindfolded she was able to somewhat hear the tires of their transport as it wound through streets, some asphalt, others gravel. Unfortunately, this version of Earth and Washington D.C. were both completely altered from her own so she couldn’t keep track of their intended destination. Thus she was thankful when the vehicle stopped and she and Strange were pulled forth, and led into a building.

Her relief was short-lived as she was then taken into a room and roughly shoved into a cold metal chair. Seconds later she heard Stephen being treated in the same manner as they were handcuffed together, and only then were their blindfolds removed. As her eyesight returned she could see the same man who had confronted her before, and had no doubts that the rest of his guards were in the room behind her, watching her companion.

“You know, you two have a lot of guts, walking around D.C. as you were with Chitauri kill squads patrolling the city.”

Natasha wasn’t surprised that her captor was still masked, but the fact that they were prisoners in his base and he kept his voice modulated was somewhat confusing. She had been studying what little she heard of the way he spoke and the inflections reminded her of someone she knew. Now she just needed to figure out how committed this archer was going to keep playing the long game.

“Maybe we like to live dangerously. And it seems to me that you and your goons do as well. Otherwise you wouldn’t have acted so stupidly.”

“We were the stupid ones? We’ve been fighting Thanos and his forces ever since the Battle of New York. Maybe you liking to live dangerously doesn’t have anything to do with it. Maybe you were leading the Chitauri right to us. If you had information about resistance forces in the area you could have been trying to kill us.”

“Sure…if we weren’t new in town and unarmed. Did you see weapons on either of us when you confronted us?”

“Whether I saw them or not is not the point…”

“Actually it kind of is the point.”

“…no, because the markings over your left eye tell me all I need to know. One red, one black…signifies that you are one of Thanos’ human enforcers. A daughter of the Titan. All the humans that have thrown their lot in with him have the same markings, over their right or left eyes. Left eye indicates assassin, right eye indicates soldier. So why don’t you tell me the truth?”

“Why don’t you drop the bad cop routine, take off your mask and turn off your voice modulator, Barton.”

Natasha’s captor’s eyes widened at hearing that name. He had learned from the best spy in the world from a young age how not to let his voice and expressions betray him. It only took one word from this woman to throw him off his game as she revealed she knew his last name. When he remained silent, she had him, and further baited him into doing exactly what she wanted.

“Come on Clint…I know it’s you. Why are you hiding yourself from me? You know I was always better at playing the long game than you are.”

“How do you know that name? Just who the hell are you anyway?”

“Unh-uh. I’m not giving up answers until you do. You used to be better at interrogations than this Clint. Now you’re just making sloppy mistakes.”

Knowing that he’d been caught, the archer deactivated his voice modulator and then removed his mask. However, the face Natasha saw was not the one she expected. A lot of the features matched her best friend, and the steely blue gaze was exactly the same, but he was younger. So much younger than the Clint Barton she knew.

“Does that satisfy you? Did you think you were going to see Clint Barton beneath that mask, Agent of Thanos? I know all about it. Loki took my dad and used him to destroy the SHIELD helicarrier. It happened just before the battle of New York. Ever since that day I’ve had to take care of my mother and baby sister. All because of Loki.”

“Cooper…,”

“That’s right…I’m Cooper Barton. I go by the name Hawkeye now. My dad taught me to be an archer, just like he was. And I made him a promise after he died, a promise to kill everyone of Thanos’ Black Order.” 

Cooper pulled an arrow and notched into the compound bow Clint had left him. With the arrow aimed directly between Natasha’s eyes, she knew he was fully prepared to kill her, and Strange would follow. 

“So…how about the truth assassin, before you meet your maker. How do you know my name, and that of my father?”

“My name is Natasha Romanoff, and your father was my best friend. He saved my life, brought me to SHIELD. Back in your youth, you and Lila used to call me Auntie Nat.”

“Liar!”

Just as Cooper was about to let the arrow fly, a voice came over the intercom, it was a voice Natasha also knew very well. If Clint was dead in this reality, it means she wasn’t aboard the helicarrier when it was attacked. As such she soon began to realize just how much Thanos changed while she was in the mirror dimension with Dr. Strange, Wong and Wanda. 

“Cooper; stop!”

“She can’t be Natasha Romanoff! If she was she would have saved Dad! He saved her life and she just let him die! She deserves the same fate!”

“Cooper…I will not tell you again. Your father didn’t teach you to be a heartless killer! Is this what he would want?”

Cooper finally reluctantly released the tension on the bow, pointing the arrow at the ground. He was silent as a door opened and a woman with dark hair and dressed in combat fatigues stepped through. The first look she got at Natasha was not what she expected, the black hair with blood red streaks and the markings over her eye, she knew this was Natasha, but seemingly not the one she had known all these years.

“Hey Nat…it’s been a long time.”

“Laura…you have no idea.”


	9. Resistance

Thanos had altered reality and the entire known universe to suit his desires. Conquering Earth was a small point in his goals, and remaining there confused his children, though none dared question him as to his reasons. For those reasons, he had used his control of the Infinity Gauntlet to resurrect the Eternals on his home moon of Titan. Long ago he had left the moon as his very appearance drove his mother mad and pushed her into an attempt to kill him. During his travels he had embraced a passion for killing and upon his return, slaughtered the rest of his people with a pirate crew and armada he had taken control of. The most loyal of this crew would eventually go on to form the Black Order.

With this in mind, his new altered reality and the return of his people was only to prove his superiority so the Eternals of Titan would declare their loyalty or meet death once again. His machinations were his main focus, and he knew of a resistance building in opposition to him, a resistance he allowed for the sheer amusement it brought him. He was content for the time being to allow these rebels a modicum of a belief that they were winning until one of his assassins returned with a potentially troubling report.

“Lord Thanos…I come with news.”

“Speak.”

“The resistance in the occupied territory of what was once Washington D.C. has decimated a Chitauri kill squad.”

“All according to my plans. Why do you bring news to me of situations that I personally allow?”

“This attack was different. The rebels were coordinated, almost ruthless. But most importantly, they rescued the sorcerer you have us on watch for…”

“Perhaps this does require my attention…this sorcerer cannot give these rebels an edge in their attempts to overthrow my rule. I will not allow that to happen…”

“Master…KillShadow was with him.”

A grim smile appeared on the Titan’s face in regards to the rest of the report. KillShadow has been missing since the final battle in the original reality. Thanos was pleased that she was still alive, though there were two likely reasons for her survival. The first was that she was using her skills to eventually betray her sorcerer companion and was still loyal to the Black Order. The other possibility was that the Scarlet Witch had freed Natasha Romanoff of Ebony Maw’s control and she was now working against him. In the likelihood that the latter proved true, it mattered little. The resistance was feeble, and at a severe disadvantage. They could attack all they wanted, as long as the Infinity Gauntlet was in his possession, he would still win.

“Lord Thanos?”

“The sorcerer is a minor threat. KillShadow will not betray the Black Order. She has proven herself loyal time and again. Even if she has been corrupted against me, I still possess the ultimate power. I can crush the resistance with but a snap of my fingers.”

“In the event that KillShadow has turned against us…”

“Then she will die. You will return to the territory and assess the threat…Gamora…Nebula…”

The sisters stepped forth from the back of the room where they were always waiting to be of service to their father. The assassin took notice of them as he entered, but neither made moves to speak until they were requested.

“Yes father?”

“You will also go to the territory. With the rest of the Black Order occupied across the world, I can only trust this mission to you. Stealth is of the utmost importance. If your sister is still loyal, she will help you eliminate our enemies. If she has betrayed me…kill her.”

“It will be done, father.”

Gamora, Nebula and the third assassin departed the throne room and gathered the deadliest team together for their journey. D.C. had one of the largest contingents of the resistance and as such were a great threat to Thanos. And the sorcerer could tip the scales of battle if he was given any such opportunity. As they prepared for departure, Natasha was back in D.C. explaining everything that had happened and just how wrong this reality was.

“I know you don’t believe me Laura, and I can’t say I blame you. Six years have passed since Loki brought the Chitauri to Earth. In my reality, he didn’t win. The Avengers…”

“Right…the so-called heroes that united to face the threat…which you and Clint were a part of. With someone called the Hulk…Iron Man…Thor…and the long lost Captain America. Natasha…if that is who you really are…you have yet to give me a reason to trust you. Your world…this other reality you claim to be from…it’s a fairy tale. I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago. You’ve seen the world as it is. Thanos has taken everything from us…believe me when I say that nothing about your story could be true. All I have left of my family is a terrified daughter and a son who grew up to fast. Cooper’s only sixteen and he already has been in more life threatening situations than someone his age should have to experience. You want us to take a fight directly to the mad Titan…a fight that we have no chance or hope of winning.”

“Maybe you’re right Laura…I am asking a lot…even for you to have blind faith seems to be too much for me to ask. So tell me…what exactly is your plan? Keep fighting small battles against superior forces? One day…possibly soon…Thanos will grow tired of this resistance. You survive now only because he allows it…it amuses him. When that day comes…he’ll destroy all that remains.”

Rhodes was listening in to everything being said and transmitting back to Sharon and Sam in New York. This Natasha Romanoff spoke convincingly, but he too had his doubts, doubts that Sharon and Sam both shared. He could tell by the sound of Laura’s voice that she didn’t believe the story even more than her words said. And the markings over the other woman’s eye, their ragtag team had fought many of Thanos’ assassins with those same markings. Soon enough the interrogation ended and Laura left the room, joining Rhodes in the conference room, leaving Natasha alone with only her thoughts and a voice in the back of her head.

“What do you think, Rhodey?”

“The Natasha Romanoff Tony told me about was skilled at deception. She played him for days while he was dying from the palladium in his chest. Then she disappeared. If this is an act, it’s a slick one. I recommend caution.”

“So do I, what about her companion?”

“The sorcerer? He’s a mystery. A few years back I’d have said I don’t believe in magic…but Thanos changed all my perceptions. He does seem to be an ally, but we can’t really be sure of that or of the other two in New York. Sam wants to trust them…at least the girl. I will say that just like him I can’t explain it…but I feel like I know her.”

Knowing that both Rhodes and Sam had similar feelings about this girl intrigued her. It was a mystery to be unraveled in the near future as they planned for their impending battle with Thanos and the Black Guard. As their discussion continued, Natasha was back in the cell she had been in since arriving, weighing her options and doing her best to ignore the voice attempting to bring out her darker instincts.

“You’re fighting it Natasha, you know I’m still here. Ebony Maw brought something out of you that has always been there. Stop pretending you don’t want the power Thanos offered you.”

“Why would I want it? You’re just like my handlers in the Red Room, Nylora. I learned to fight their programming…I can fight you…”

“You had an advantage last time. Your little witch friend. She’s not here, and you had trouble fighting me even with her help.”

“Did I…or is that what I wanted you to think?”

“The real question is…what do you think? I’m inside your head…Maw is still in your head as well. Just how long do you think it will take for me to regain control?”

Natasha could tell Nylora wasn’t bluffing, when she first woke up after the mirror dimension she could feel her alter ego and Ebony Maw still in her head. This is the reason she suggested that the four of them split into two teams. Wong would protect Wanda and if she hadn’t sent them away, the chance that KillShadow reemerging was a distinct possibility, and if that happened she knew Wanda would die. Now as she sits there, her strength is being taken from her as Maw’s voice joined that of Nylora.

“You are part of the Black Order…a daughter of Thanos…, Natasha Romanoff is dead…”

Natasha fought as hard as she could, but her strength was no match for that of Maw and Nylora. They were pushing harder than she could fight against, and showing her what she could be if she retook her place. In mere moments her body began convulsing as she collapsed to the floor of her cell, setting off alarms in the compound. As soon as the alarms began blaring, Laura and Rhodey came running. They passed by the room where Dr. Strange was being questioned and he immediately stood up.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Cooper…you have to let me go…if they’re headed where I think they are…”

“I don’t have to do anything. Sit back down. I’m not done with you yet.”

“But…”

Cooper shoved Stephen back down, and though the sorcerer could have used his abilities to leave, he knew the boy was on edge and the best thing to do was cooperate. Down the hall, Laura and Rhodey were doing their best to stabilize Natasha as her convulsions became increasingly violent. Shortly after they arrived a medic they had on staff came running with a calming injection. As she was about to insert the needle into Natasha’s neck, the prone woman's eyes sprang open, and her irises were a black as the midnight sky. Within mere moments, KillShadow was back in control and on her feet. Her attacks were faster than anyone could anticipate. Even without her weapons she was still deadly. But she was also outnumbered and quickly incapacitated the three in the room with her.

“Your resistance will meet death for detaining a daughter of Thanos. You should have killed Natasha Romanoff as soon as you brought her here. Your mistake will not be mine.”

KillShadow kicked Laura’s body as she darted through the door of her cell which had been left open after the medic arrived. Running down the hall, she smiled sinisterly as she came across the resistance weapons cache. Though it was guarded, she eliminated the four men who attempted to halt her progress. Now fully armed, she cut a path of blood and death as she made her way towards the exit. Having been inside Natasha’s head, even in unfamiliar surroundings she could calculate the best escape route. As she was still in her armor, the moment she broke free a tracker activated alerting Gamora and Nebula to her location.

The signal was blaring inside the sister’s vessel, its engines being linked to the power of the space stone allowed them to traverse the distance in mere minutes, arriving just as KillShadow put distance between herself and the resistance compound. Though resistance soldiers were not far behind, Gamora quickly lowered the ramp, giving KillShadow ample time to vault inside as gunfire erupted behind her. She fired back with her stolen weapons, taking down three enemies just before the hatch closed.

Though slightly winded from her escape, KillShadow stood, turning to meet Gamora face to face. Both shared a devilish smile in greeting as the former dropped her weapons to the deck.

“Gamora…”

“Welcome home sister. Father has been awaiting your return. As has Warlord. They will be pleased to know you have survived and are retaking your place in the Black Order.”

“I will be pleased to see them again. And with the location of a resistance base. Our vessel has the coordinates?”

“Of course. We can decimate this resistance when we return. For now…you should rest. You will need your strength for our final conquest.”

Standing behind Gamora was the assassin that had reported to Thanos about the attack in D.C. While Gamora returned to the bridge, he removed his mask so KillShadow could see his face before leading her to quarters.

“Lady Nylora…you have been sorely missed.”

“Dispense with the pleasantries, archer. Just take me to a place where I can rest.”

“As you wish.”

The archer turned to lead Nylora to her quarters and inside the Black Order assassin, Natasha screamed in rage as she recognized his face. Though she was powerless to fight back, she now knew her best friend had survived the battle of New York, and Clint Barton went from being Loki’s slave to being a slave to Thanos. In their shared mind, Nylora let loose with vile laughter, taunting her weaker self.

“Your life will always be one of failure Natasha. Clint Barton serves my father, and when we return to his palace, Ebony Maw and I will see that you are erased completely, and no amount of magic from Wanda Maximoff will save you.”


	10. Scarlet Rage

The alarms still blaring at the D.C. resistance compound were deafening. Through the noise Cooper maintained what little composure he had for one so young as he continued questioning Dr. Strange. It was only the medics that were running past that caught his attention, the realization of where they were headed that made him abandon his interrogation. His mother had been with Thanos’ assassin, questioning her. Having already lost his father, he was afraid he had lost his mother now as well and followed the emergency team, leaving the sorcerer alone for the first time in the many days since he had been brought here.

“The kid has a lot of heart…but his mind’s in the wrong place. But I can’t worry about him right now. If KillShadow has overtaken Natasha again, this place is about to become very unsafe.”

Stephen knew that the battle with Thanos was far from over and once KillShadow rejoined him, she would no doubt lead the Black Order back, and they would slaughter the resistance. The only option they had left was to attack first. Knowing this, the mystic opened a portal to New York with his sling ring. One of his self-taught lessons in Kamar-Taj had been a locator spell. With it, he easily found both Wong and Wanda in what was in their original reality the Avengers compound.

“Wanda…Wong…”

“Stephen…what’s happened?”

“Romanoff is gone Wong…whatever you did Wanda, it wasn’t enough. KillShadow is still very much alive.”

“Then I’ll just have to fight her again. This time I will not fail.”

“Even if it means killing Natasha in the process?”

“Yes.”

There was no hesitation in Wanda’s voice as she responded to Stephen’s question. Natasha is her friend, but she had already lost Vision, she just got her brother back, and she would walk through the gates of hell to prevent anything from taking him away from her again. During her time in New York, after many long conversations with him, Pietro had finally accepted that she really was his sister, though the alternate reality story was still a bit much for him to take in. As Wanda’s eyes turn crimson, both Dr. Strange and Wong feel a slight amount of fear at what she seems prepared to do.

“This is not a moment for rash actions Wanda. You said it yourself…three of us are not enough to defeat Thanos.”

“But there are not just three of us anymore Doctor. Sam and Sharon have agreed to join the fight…she just got confirmation from Rhodes that the D.C. resistance team will fight.”

“Rhodes was in the room with Natasha when she snapped. I didn’t know he had survived.”

“Not Natasha…KillShadow. He was the first to recover from what Sharon said. And that was just barely five minutes ago as you were arriving. Thanos has taken our world away from us…he took part of the only family I have left. There is no other way Doctor. He has been sitting safe on his throne for far too long. By the end of this day the Titan will fear me.” 

Wanda turned and stalked off down the corridor. Her anger was evident to both sorcerers as her jacket flipped around violently. Neither of them knew where she was going but they hoped she had a plan.

“It is as I said Stephen…chaos magic. Wanda doesn’t yet know what she is capable of. But she is learning quickly. She could be the advantage we need to restore reality, or she could be an even more dangerous threat than Thanos.”

“Which is why we need to be there when she goes after him, the world’s survival depends on it. Wong…you once told me that the Infinity Stones were fragile…”

“Yes…what is your point?”

“I mastered the time stone on my own. Wanda’s powers were either given to her by or unlocked by the mind stone. Is it possible that either she or I could interfere with those two stones…given how we’ve interacted with them before?”

“It is likely…but improbable. Thanos has been the first being to unite the stones in centuries. Taking them from him…”

“I didn’t say anything about taking them from him. I was thinking about casting a spell that cuts the time stone off from his use, even if it is still in the Gauntlet.”

“That could work…but what about Wanda?”

“When I was training with her, she told me she manipulated the mind stone in Vision’s forehead. She forced him to turn intangible and then altered his density, sending him crashing through the floors of the Avengers compound. If her abilities are derived…”

“No Stephen…when she inevitably does do that, we will see that her powers were not given to her by but rather they were unlocked by the mind stone. That was your initial thought, yes?”

“Yes…this means we have an advantage, don’t we?”

“A small one…but even a small advantage is better than nothing.”

Dr. Strange nodded, knowing that his initial hypothesis had been correct. At the same moment he and Wong were beginning to strategize their plan, Wanda was still radiating her power and anger as she entered Sharon’s war room, holding up a hand before the either the blonde or Sam could even think about speaking.

“You will say I do not belong here, that I should not interfere in your planning of an attack on Thanos. You are wasting your time. Guerilla tactics will no longer work. You know who I learned that from Sam…from you and Steve in my reality. What gains have you made in these kind of tactics Sharon?”

“We’ve made…”

“None. Your vain attempts to engage Thanos have only amused him. He could destroy you all with but a snap of his fingers. I know because he did that to my world. His control of the Infinity Gauntlet means you have never stood a chance against him or his Black Order.”

“So you’re saying we should just give up the fight? Roll over and die?”

“No Sharon…I am saying we take the fight to him. He expects you to continue your paltry attacks, and trust me when I say…he will grow bored with your very existence. When he does…not if…he will end you.”

“Wanda; taking the fight to Thanos is suicide. How do you expect us to storm his defenses when there are so few of us?”

“I do not need you to storm his stronghold…I need you to create a diversion that will allow myself, Dr. Strange and Wong a chance to get in. If Thanos’ warriors are engaged with resistance fighters, he will be vulnerable.”

“You’re insane Maximoff…how do you…”

“She’s got a point Sharon. There are enough of us to provide a sizable distraction. If the power she is radiating is even half of what she’s capable of, then…”

“I am capable of so much more Sam. I’ve been holding back ever since I got these powers. No more…I will not lose the little family I have left.”

“What if I refuse to order the attack, Wanda? Your little plan will go nowhere.”

“Then I will go without you. I am sure I can convince your soldiers that fighting even if they may die in the process is better than waiting for it to happen.”

“She’s right Sharon and you know it. If we can create a better world, one where Thanos hasn’t taken control of everything…if we’re going to win this fight some of us may have to lose it.”

Wanda’s admiration for this alternate Sam Wilson grew by leaps and bounds in that moment. In any reality he proved to be the same stalwart soldier and hearing him speak the exact same words Clint spoke in Berlin made her realize that he would fight no matter the cost. 

“Okay…okay Wanda. I’ll give the order. We’d already agreed to fight with you, and we have a plan. When do you want to leave?”

“As soon as possible. Gather all of your fighters; tell them to prepare for the end of Thanos.”

Wanda turned and walked away, a confidence and anger in her posture that both inspired and terrified her companions. She knew there was nothing more to be said as what she hoped would be the final battle against the Titan loomed. The only person she has kept out of her plans despite building a bond, is her brother. Little did she realize that he had been acting as her shadow, keeping track of her conversations but also keeping out of sight. It is on the verge of her impending departure that he chooses the moment to confront her.

“Wanda.”

“Pietro, I was just coming to see you. I have to…”

“I know what you are planning sister. You do not have to do this.”

“Yes Pietro, I do. Thanos is relentless, he has taken everything from me in one reality…I cannot let him do it again.”

“Then you can come with me…we can leave this place, forget this war…”

“No my brother, we cannot. No matter where we go…whatever we do…Thanos will not stop until he has achieved complete victory. So many lives are threatened by his continued existence. If I do not fight…they,…you will die.”

“You are doing this to protect me.”

“I felt you die in another reality. Please do not ask me to experience that a second time.”

“Wanda…”

“No Pietro…all our lives you protected me…it is my turn now. I could not save you on my world…here I have that chance.”

Wanda’s statement left Pietro silent as she once again turned away. He knew the risks she was taking…and more importantly he knew that if her plan succeeded, he may still cease to exist. But she was right, he had always looked out for her, and if this war was to end, he was still going to be there to protect her, even without the powers she told him he had in her world. So when the call came for the resistance to arm themselves for battle, he suited up with the rest.

While Wanda was talking with Sharon and Sam, Dr. Strange and Wong had finalized their own plan for taking the battle to Thanos. As in their own reality, their plan was to stick close to Wanda and protect her as well as provide their abilities in the impending fight. But they still needed to know where the battle would take place. With that need, Stephen entered the astral plane to seek out the Titan. He found him in conference with the rest of the Black Order.

“My children; the time has come. I have allowed these pathetic resistance fighters countless opportunities to fight our warriors. I have done so for the amusement it provided us. But I have grown bored. I want the remaining humans of Earth to be crushed beneath my boot so my people on Titan will see their folly in defying me. After Earth falls, we go to Titan.”

“Father…”

“Speak KillShadow…you who have been their prisoner.”

“We could slaughter the resistance easily if we attack their stronghold. They are weak, and though my escape was not without risk, they failed to stop me.”

“But you do not believe that is the best course of action.”

“I do not. Destroying them where they live would send a message to others who wish to overthrow your rule. It would make the resistance martyrs. These others would then rise up, emboldened by these so called heroes sacrifice. I…”

“…have a better idea, daughter? As do I. We will make them come to us. There is a land east of here, one that I have long known about but spared my conquest until now. It is Wakanda. This is where we will go and then crush the resistance once and for all.”

Stephen knew that the Titan’s choice of Wakanda was no mere coincidence. The nation was where the final battle of the war happened in his original reality and it was a focal point for everything that had occurred up until this point. Thanos clearly had a plan in motion and in the multiple futures the sorcerer had witnessed this was something he could not have foreseen. Exiting the astral plane, he immediately called to Wanda and Wong.

“Stephen…”

“I know where Thanos is going; Wong. He’s going to Wakanda.”

Wanda’s eyes lit up in crimson fury at the news. Both Stephen and Wong could tell what she was thinking even without the words being spoken. With only vengeance on her mind they knew the words that would come even before she chose to voice them.

“Thanos is mine. When we confront him…both of you stay out of my way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, back with a new chapter, and maybe it's just me but I kind of feel like Wanda's powers have up until recently been a bit nerfed in the MCU, that's not to say this is a bad thing because it leaves room for her to grow and her powers to increase and that's where I'm going with this story. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter and the impending final chapters.


	11. Wakanda Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry it's been so long but I'm back with a new chapter that I started out not entirely pleased with and did some rewrites. As I mentioned in a previous chapter's notes, I felt Wanda had been kind of nerfed in the MCU in regards to her powers. Vision was capable of so much with the mind stone that I felt Wanda should be as well, and only Avengers 4 next year will answer some of those questions so with this being an A.U. I thought to bring in some her comic book powers to be explored in this penultimate chapter and the potential final chapter after it.

The flight from New York to Wakanda was a solemn one after a brief layover in D.C. to collect the rest of the resistance. Dr. Strange and Wong explained the true nature of the threat Thanos presented and on a few occasions looked to Wanda to back up their claims, but she remained silent, choosing to engage in testing any limits of her powers. Several times members of Sharon’s and Laura’s team spoke up thinking they had seen the worst the Titan was capable of but were always shut down when the sorcerers brought up the Infinity stones. While Sharon had chosen to accompany her agents into battle, Laura had remained behind in D.C. with Lila and Cooper, unaware that the latter had snuck aboard the Quinjet.

Currently he was sitting next to Pietro; both also remaining silent as speaking up would reveal them and delay the mission as Wanda and Sharon would insist on taking them back. No one knew what to expect when they entered Wakandan airspace, but the obvious devastation was not it.

“The shield that protected the country…it is gone…could we be too late?”

“No Wanda, this doesn’t appear to have been Thanos’ doing. At least not from what I can see from here.”

“Who do you think did this then, Doctor?” 

“I imagine we’ll find out when we land. If there is a place to land.”

Sam was in the pilot’s seat and began looking for any place that was suitable to set the Quinjet down. As they approached the ground they could see the extent of the destruction that had been leveled in the country. The first thing that was abundantly clear was that while cataclysmic in nature, what had happened was not the doing of the Titan or his children. Finally he came upon a clearing, unaware that they were being watched as they departed the jet.

“All right, fan out…we need to make sure the area is secure enough for us to…”

Sharon was cut off in the middle of giving her orders by a vibranium dagger lined up with her throat. Multiple agents drew their side-arms as the three magic wielders conjured weapons. The resistance fighters were surrounded by Wakandan warriors, all armed and prepared to kill. Knowing that her position was precarious, Sharon spoke to try and ease the tension.

“We’re not here to fight you…we came to help.”

“You are outsiders…the last time outsiders came to Wakanda they met their end. Our survival depends on our nation and resources being kept secret.”

“And how well have your secrets served you? I look around and all I see is devastation. Pride in your nation is an admirable trait, but too much pride causes what I see before me.”

“What would you know about pride? I say…”

The dagger inched closer to Sharon’s neck, cutting a small line in her skin, just the slightest amount of blood beginning to show when a voice spoke up, halting her adversary’s killing strike.

“Okoye…stop!”

“They are trespassers; my King. They should be made to see the fate of all trespassers who enter our sovereign borders.”

“And while others have threatened us in the past, these intruders show no signs of wanting to harm us.”

“King T’Challa…”

“Let them speak…if they are here to help in good faith as they claim they will be allowed to live. If not…then they will regret entering my kingdom.”

T’Challa stepped forward as Okoye released Sharon from her hold. Only those in his royal entourage had seen him both at his strongest and his weakest. Ever since his father’s death in the Wakandan civil war, T’Challa has borne the responsibility of ruling the land. His eyes show the weariness that rule has done to him, and his body shows the scars of many a bloody conflict. To Wanda’s eyes, his appearance is a far cry from that of the noble warrior she met in Berlin. His right arm is one of metal, the claws extending from his fingertips sharp as knives. 

“Your Highness, what happened here? Why does Wakanda look so…”

“Decimated young lady? The tribes turned on each other long before Thanos arrived. My father was the Black Panther before me. Klaue came and stole our vibranium, he killed many. As protector of Wakanda it was my father’s sworn duty to bring Klaue to justice. They both died in the battle. The schism tore the nation apart, some of my people thought siding with Thanos was best, others still sided with me. This is why I believe Thanos has stayed away from my home. A nation of warriors destroying themselves held no immediate interest to him.”

“King T’Challa, what if I told you of a world where Wakanda was not only united, but one of the most beautiful nations in the world. What if it was possible to restore that Wakanda?”

“As it was in days past? Nothing would please me more than to see Wakanda restored as she was. But how can you know of this world, who exactly are you young lady?”

“My name is Wanda Maximoff, and I know this world because it was mine. Other worlds, other realities do exist. I can show you but we do not have the time. Thanos is coming. He will destroy everything if we do not stop him here and now.”

“Thanos has never set foot in Wakanda before. Why would he come here now? She is lying My King.”

“Okoye…I do not lie. I and my companions are from this world. Wong and Dr. Strange can confirm that I am telling the truth.”

“Then it will not hurt to show us, Miss Maximoff. While Okoye is skeptical, and has a right to be, even if time is short, you must show us this if I am to commit my people to death against Thanos if he comes as you say.”

Though time is not on their side, Dr. Strange, Wong and Wanda have to agree to the King’s terms. Wakanda suffered in their reality and if they are to restore the world and stop the Titan they have only one option.

“Your Highness, these images I am about to show you will be jarring. I do not take this course of action lightly but as you requested, I will show you my world…your country before Thanos won.”

Wanda gently places her hands on both sides of the King’s head, her abilities expanding outward as crimson light encircles both of them. At first, T’Challa screams in agony as the power he feels is overwhelming prompting the Dora to take arms to defend him. Knowing that the effects of Wanda’s powers will cease causing him pain, both Dr. Strange and Wong create a mystical barrier to protect her as Sharon explains the little she knows of what Wanda is doing. 

Soon enough, tears slide from T’Challa’s eyes as he sees himself uninjured and fighting for his nation, the tribes united in battle against Thanos and his Black Order. As Wanda’s powers subside, the King knows she was telling the truth and as they both return to reality, he makes a decision just as a portal in space opens behind them.

“We have so little time left…Okoye; gather the rest of the Dora Milaje. We must fight to restore the better world Miss Maximoff has shown me.”

“We are too late…look.”

T’Challa, Sharon’s resistance team, Dr. Strange, Wanda and Wong all turn towards where the portal from the space stone has opened. Thanos steps through accompanied by his children and an army of Chitauri and Outriders. Though they are outnumbered, the resistance warriors prepare to fight as the tribes that stayed loyal to T’Challa emerge, ready for battle. As it happened before, the Titan’s voice sounds out like thunder over the plains of Wakanda.

“I have left this nation alone for many years as your people were not a threat to me. Now you have allied yourselves with the resistance who seeks to overthrow my rule. But I am not without mercy…people of Wakanda I offer you one chance. Abandon the resistance and turn the magic users over to me and I will spare your lives.”

For the briefest of moments, T’Challa turns to Wanda, their eyes meeting. The look he gives her is exactly the one she expected as the Panther armor encases his body. In that smallest of glances she saw his renewed determination and his belief in a better world. As he turns back to face the enemy, only two words are spoken, no more than a whisper. But his voice is loud enough for the warriors standing with him to hear.

“Wakanda forever.”

War erupts as warriors from both sides charge forward. In a matter of minutes the screams of battle and death echo across the grasslands of the nation. While Stephen, Wanda and Wong defend the tribes and resistance with their powers, their true battle still stands in front of them. In short order, both masters of the mystic arts are pushed away from Wanda as an Outrider approaches her from behind. She senses the creature’s presence and turns just in time to see Okoye stab her spear through its chest cavity while T’Challa snaps the monster’s neck.

“Miss Maximoff…go!”

T’Challa’s scream catches the attention of Stephen and Wong as they return to Wanda’s side. Turning back to their main adversaries, Dr. Strange opens a portal with his sling ring and the three jump through to stand in front of Thanos and his Black Order.

“Three of you to challenge my children? It is folly as you three remember what I did in the last battle for this paltry nation. What chance do you possibly think you have this time?”

“You caught us unprepared in that last battle Titan. Make no mistake, it will not happen again.”

“Wanda…my child…you have great confidence. You would be better served standing at my side. You have yet to tap the full potential of your powers. Join the Black Order and I can grant you more power than you ever thought possible.”

“I have all the power I need, Thanos. You cannot offer me anything I want.”

“A pity. Destiny arrives no matter how you fear or run from it.”

Thanos turns away as his children begin their attack. The first are Gamora and Nebula but Stephen and Wong both open sling ring portals, transporting them hundreds of yards away. Warlord and KillShadow attack next, he goes for both sorcerers while she engages Wanda. Wanda knew that she would attack her as they both remembered their last battle. But the Scarlet Witch was better prepared this time, her powers already at full strength as she stopped the assassin that was Natasha with a near fatal blast of hex energy.

“You should have learned by now that you cannot defeat me KillShadow. Your skills are formidable, but were never a match for my chaos magic.”

Wanda stopped short of killing her enemy, knowing that if she died, Natasha would too. Instead, she encased the assassin in a cocoon of power, throwing her hard to the ground. KillShadow’s head hit hard dirt behind her, and her scream served to distract Warlord enough for Dr. Strange and Wong to trap him in the mirror dimension. As they caught their breath, both realized how Wanda had described her powers.

“Wanda…you…you know…”

“I heard you and Wong talking about my magic, Doctor. Trust me, I will control it. It is all that stands between our victory and defeat.”

“Then let’s finish it.”

Corvus and Proxima are the next to attack but are easily dispatched by Stephen and Wanda working in tandem. Wanda, her eyes now fully crimson catch Proxima’s spear as it is thrown and deflect it right back through her heart. She falls, ragged breaths escaping her throat as she dies while Corvus turns to see her fall. His distraction is enough for the Cloak of Levitation to wrap itself around his throat, choking him to death and then being thrown next to his wife’s body. Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw stand for a moment, dazed at the deaths of their brother and sister before launching their own attack.

Cull immediately goes after Wanda as Dr. Strange challenged Ebony Maw for the torture he had experienced. While the sorcerer took the upper hand against his opponent, Wanda did not fare as well against her enemy. Her powers were keeping the battle on a somewhat even ground, but she knew the brute strength of Cull could potentially overwhelm her after her battle with Proxima. Behind the combatants, KillShadow was stirring, her head in pain from the fall she was subjected to. Wanda could hear the movement and knew that while she was holding her own against one of the Black Order, two could only hasten her defeat. What she didn’t expect was a familiar voice and her name.

“Wanda…what?”

The Scarlet Witch didn’t turn her head as doing so would further break her concentration as hearing Natasha speak slightly distracted her. For the moment it seemed that the Black Widow was back in control. Natasha watched as her friend battled the monstrous member of the Black Order and decided to act as she knew that Nylora could still fight back inside her mind, and once again take control. Darting across the battlefield, she pulled Proxima’s spear from her cold corpse and turned just in time to impale Cull through his own heart. Shock appeared on the face of the giant as Natasha swiftly pulled back just as Wanda let loose a furious blast of magic, breaking the child of Thanos in half.

“Natasha…?”

“It’s really me Wan…I’m in control right now.”

“But for how long? KillShadow is still in there. She could…”

“I know…believe me. There’s only one way to end this. And you have to be the one to do it.”

“I am not going to kill you Natasha…”

“You may have to…if Thanos doesn’t lose…if he somehow…”

Natasha and Wanda’s conversation is cut off by the almost furious scream of Dr. Strange. Wong had entered the mirror dimension to continue his battle with Warlord while Stephen was still fighting Maw.

“Natasha…Wanda could you save your reunion for later! Maw is still immensely powerful and I could use some help over here!”

“Wanda…go! Help Dr. Strange…you defeat Maw and Thanos will have to fight.”

“But what about you…?”

“I’ve got my own sorcerer to help.”

Natasha and Wanda turn towards separate directions. Scarlet Witch begins throwing hex bolts at Maw while Stephen calls upon the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak, using them to restrain their enemy. He can only watch as Ebony Maw struggles against the bands and Wanda approaches him, her hands aglow with all of her power.

“You have hurt countless members of my family. Turned a man who has become like a father to me into your mindless puppet. Perhaps you should feel the pain you caused him.”

Wanda reaches out and places both of her hands on Maw’s head, radiating power so violent that he screams from the sheer agony of feeling the chaos magic destroy his synapses. Scarlet Witch is drawing upon his memories from the last time she was in his head and making him feel the power of the mind stone as it rewrites both Steve and Natasha’s identities. When he can no longer bear the pain, the Ebony Maw collapses to the ground, his eyes blank, and his own sense of self locked away in his subconscious. When she withdraws and allows her powers to dissipate, Stephen feels a slight sense of fear.

“Wanda…”

“I told you Dr. Strange…I have control. Maw will not be able to hurt anyone again.”

Further back on the fields of Wakanda, Natasha was calling for Wong. She knew he was there but couldn’t see him. Her instincts told her he was in the mirror dimension and Steve was in there with him, but still trapped in his Warlord persona.

“Wong…wherever you are let me help you! Steve doesn’t know what he’s doing!”

Natasha is turning frantically because she knows that whoever gains the upper hand in their battle, either Wong or Steve…one of them is going to die. She turns one more time as a sling ring portal opens up, and Wong throws Warlord to the ground. Quickly she rushes to his side, hoping he’s still alive and that she can help him remember. She rips the helmet from his head, and can feel his breath on her hand as Wong steps forward.

“Relax Miss Romanoff…I heard everything you said even if you didn’t know it. I could see you. I know that Captain Rogers is not in control of his actions. He may be able to be restored, but that all depends on how her battle ends.”

Natasha looks up to see Wanda confronting Thanos. The young woman is radiating power as she stares down the Titan. For one of the few times in her life the Black Widow feels fear. Fear for reality, fear for Steve, and fear for Wanda. She has always known how much potential Wanda has, and encouraged her to embrace that potential, just as Steve did. But she can read Wanda’s body language even at the distance between them. There is a cold fury that is unmistakable. All is quiet until Thanos speaks.

“My child; you have impressed me. Even now I can see your thoughts. You know this will end but one way. I have the Infinity Stones. Your powers however are no match for the six combined.”

“That is where you are wrong; Titan. My powers are so much more than just moving things with my mind. You require the six to control all. I have no such limitations.”

“We shall see.”

Thanos raises his hand, all six stones radiating power. Just as he makes the motion for a second snap, the mind stone shatters, the power violently washing over the battlefield, in turn knocking Natasha off her feet as she was kneeling next to Steve.

“Impressive. But I still have the time stone. I can restore the one you destroyed. All you’ve done is delay the inevitable.”

“Have I? Perhaps you only think so.”

The Titan attempts to use the time stone to reverse what Wanda had done only to find that the stone is no longer responding to his commands. Curious, he tries again, but still the stone refuses to work.

“Foolish child, the mind stone may have unlocked your powers, thus connecting you to it, but there is no such connection you have to the time stone. How could you possibly take control of it?”

“She didn’t. I did.”

Thanos turns to see Dr. Strange; his hands alight with a spell. He is using all of his concentration to keep the spell going, and sweat is beading on his forehead. The Titan can see that the powers Dr. Strange is using are taking a toll on him and it is only a matter of time before his exhaustion overtakes him. His distraction is all Wanda needs to telekinetically remove the stone from the gauntlet, using her power to send it to Wong, who is waiting with the Eye of Agamotto.

“Wanda…I have it!”

Thanos is enraged now…a furious glare on his face. He had been distracted long enough by those whom he considers pathetic mortals and turns once again to Stephen. Without the time and mind stones, his power has diminished but he still has the power stone and focuses it on the sorcerer who just barely escapes through a sling ring portal to land next to Wong. 

“Stephen…”

“No…no time…I need the Eye. I can stop him…”

Though weakened, Dr. Strange places the Eye of Agamotto around his neck and casts the spell to access the power. Thanos has teleported himself the short distance with the space stone and once again throws a powerful punch at his enemies. His fist is stopped in mid-air as Stephen stops time.

“Thanos…I’ve come to bargain.”

“There will be no bargain sorcerer. You are weak.”

“Maybe I am. Maybe bargaining with you won’t work like it did with Dormammu. But as long as I control the time stone, you won’t be able to move until we’ve won.”

“Your confidence is misplaced; human. You already know that you can’t beat me.”

“You’re right. But I don’t need to beat you. I just have to keep you locked in time. Because she can.”

When Stephen stopped Thanos in a small time loop, it kept the Titan from realizing Wanda had approached him from behind. She knew just how much power she had to use to kill the Titan, but that was not her goal. Instead; as she had done with Maw, with Natasha, she placed both of her hands on either side of his head. She knew she couldn’t hesitate and unleashed the full fury of her powers inside his mind. 

“Now you will feel the pain you have caused others.”

Wanda knew that Thanos was far too powerful for her to lock him in his subconscious, but she could show him how much he had hurt the universe and it all started with when he destroyed his own home. In his mind, the Titan had thought he was doing what was best, destroying a civilization that had shunned him. Instead he saw the actual cost through the eyes of a child, one just like he had been. But the difference this time was that he felt the child’s death as if it were his own, and saw the young one’s mother crawling towards him, using the last of her strength to try and protect him even as death rained down from above.

“I…”

One word was all he spoke while still locked in the time loop, with Wanda’s powers flooding his mind; Thanos fell to his knees in agony. In the background, the tribes of Wakanda and resistance fighters had eliminated the Outriders. In that moment all fighting seemed to stop as Wanda’s powers exploded around Wakanda, two realities bleeding together across the battlefield as the Titan could just barely access the reality stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so now that you've read this chapter, I ask you guys, the readers how you would like to see the story end. I have a rough idea for chapter twelve but I always enjoy hearing what the reader's think. Feel free to leave your ideas and constructive criticism in any comments and I will do my best to incorporate as much as I can should ya'll choose to explore ideas with me. Thanks guys.


	12. End of Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the final chapter. This one took me a while and I apologize to the readers whom I've kept waiting. I rewrote this a few times as I was initially unhappy with how events played out, but I hope you all enjoy it and as always I own none of the characters, and feel free to leave comments letting me know what ya'll thought.

Time stood still as the skies seemed to bleed around the combatants in Wakanda. The war was not yet over and at the center of it all were the Mad Titan and the Scarlet Witch. The powers they had unleashed ebbed and flowed as all of reality desperately attempted to rewrite itself. Only one could emerge victorious from this final battle, and not even Dr. Strange could see the results of this unwritten future. The energy crackling and burning had forced him to step away, breaking the time loop. Wanda was truly on her own and he could only pray that she had the strength to succeed.

As the crimson energy surrounded the two combatants, the rest of the battlefield was left in chaos. Maw was still unconscious, the Outriders and Chitauri slain; only a handful of Thanos’ human loyalists remained to fight. Cooper was facing off against another archer, all dressed in black, as Pietro fought hand to hand with others. But he too could feel a change in his physiology. His punches were flying faster, and he knew inherently that something Wanda had done had altered him, awakening abilities she had spoken of in her alternate reality. Soon enough he was moving like lightning, speeding across the fields of Wakanda, faster than the human eye could see. No one on either side; rebel or child of Thanos could anticipate what he would do until only the archer fighting Cooper remained. Pietro saw that the boy had exhausted his complement of arrows while his opponent had one left.

In the blink of an eye, the speedster intercepted the arrow, snatching it out of the air like a firefly before turning towards the Titan’s assassin, darting around him, and landing three successive punches to his face.

“You didn’t see that coming?”

Meanwhile up on the hill, Wanda and Thanos were still locked in a stalemate of a conflict. Sweat beaded across both of their foreheads as neither would give up the edge in battle. Her chaos magic was holding the Titan at bay while he attempted to combine the powers of the reality and power stones together, but even then he was unsuccessful as Wanda could see what he was planning before he tried. 

“You have impressed me child, you have truly embraced the power the mind stone unlocked within you. Not even the Hulk could hold his own for long against me, despite his anger making him stronger. You should be proud of yourself.”

“Pride is the last thing on my mind Thanos. You have destroyed millions, it all stops here. All that remains is my vengeance.”

“The android. You were close to it. It was a machine, Wanda. So much less than you can be. Your sentiment for an artificial construct is misplaced.”

“Vision was more than that to me. You have no right to speak of him that…”

“And you still have yet to truly grasp what I am offering you. Stand by my side and you can bring Vision back, he can stand by your side as we rule the universe. You can have your family back…Pietro…The Avengers, all alive and together. All of your dreams and hopes realized.”

Wanda did comprehend everything Thanos was offering her, and she knew in her heart that everything he said was meant to tempt her, but it was still all lies. He then extended his right hand, believing his temptation had enticed her, though her eyes remained cold. The reality he was offering she did not desire. As he withdrew his hand, her eyes lit up in crimson fire and she spoke, her voice no more than a whisper.

“No.”

“You would deny your heart…I see your desires Wanda. You could have so much more and you continue to allow yourself to suffer, still a pity that you deny your true potential.”

“The world…the universe you offer is not worth living in. I deny nothing! I defy you!”

Initially Wanda had been holding Thanos off with one hand. She knew he was powerful, but in her training, she had learned that she had the potential to eclipse his power, to alter reality into whatever she wanted. With that knowledge in mind, she joined both her hands, creating a ball of crimson energy that the Titan didn’t believe she was capable of yet. The explosion of this energy was so violent, everyone behind her dropped to their knees, screaming in agony. Her powers were a tidal wave of destructive force that even brought Thanos to his knees. The Scarlet Witch focused her powers on him, until reality warped and broke around them.

In that moment, everything froze. Her original world and the one Thanos created were merging and Wanda was at the precipice of it all. One more push would restore everything she loved, but she was hit with a startling revelation at the same time. Pietro. She had heard his scream as well, and knew he had accompanied her as he had always done. Briefly she stopped, finding him with her mind.

“Pietro…you fool. I told you to stay away.”

“No Wanda…you told me to let you die. You know I will always protect you. Letting you fight this battle alone was never going to happen.”

“But you know what’s at stake. I’ve stopped Thanos, but if I don’t end this, here and now…he still wins. I have to restore my original reality…and if I do that, I lose you all over again.”

“And you have the power to do that Wanda. You have to do it. Even if I hadn’t come, nothing would have changed in what you must do. Here with you or back at the resistance compound, I would still be erased.”

“But I can’t lose you again…I’m not strong enough…”

“Yes you are…and you know it. I can see your memories sister…my…his death at the hands of ULTRON was not your fault. And I can see his memories…he always believed you were the stronger one. I believe it too. This is your chance to say good-bye to both of us. It’s what you wanted. Be strong for us, sister. Save the world, be a hero…be the Avenger you were meant to be.”

Tears flowed from Wanda’s eyes as she accepted what she had to do. Saying good-bye to her brother was just as difficult now as it could have been if she’d had a real opportunity to do so. But she also knew he was correct. This time she did get to say good-bye.

“I love you Pietro. You’ll always be my brother.”

“And I love you Wanda…no matter what happens next, I’ll always be with you.”

With those words, Wanda closed off the telepathic connection with her brother and refocused on Thanos. Her tears were still falling like rain, but she knew what she had to do. The screams didn’t abate and only increased in intensity as she unleashed the full extent of her magic. The crimson energy enveloped Thanos as he once again fell to his knees. Under her vicious onslaught, the gauntlet on the Titan’s left hand began to crack and melt. As it fell apart, the remaining stones were transported through reality to their original locations where they had been hidden for so long. Only the time stone was unaffected as the amulet of Agamotto’s mystical energies protected it.

Now Thanos was powerless except for his natural strength. He knew he had been beaten, but would not yet admit defeat. He looked up from where he knelt, rage burning in his eyes and spoke as he attempted to regain his footing.

“All you have done is restarted my quest child…I will once again recover the Infinity stones and…”

One more push from Wanda kept the Titan on his knees, her powers still keeping him under control. She had him defeated, but she also knew he could try this again. The next actions she takes, she knows will haunt her for the rest of her days. But Thanos ultimately has made the choice for her. Three words are all she says, three words to end it.

“No more Thanos.”

The chaos magic exploded one last time, forcing everything and everyone back to the ground, even Wanda couldn’t withstand the force of her own powers. Kneeling, she could barely raise her head, but she saw Thanos turning to dust. He screamed in terror as his body blew away with the winds of Wakanda, the scream echoing into nothingness as the Scarlet Witch fell unconscious as reality rewrote itself around her.   
Days passed with Wanda in a comatose state, her mind drifting through all her experiences. She saw her parents and her brother, back in happier days before a Stark missile destroyed their home. She even imagined she heard voices speaking to her from far away and yet closer than she could feel. 

“How long do you think she’ll be like this?”

“I don’t know. Something bad must have happened to her. But until she wakes up, we won’t get answers.”

Wanda knew those voices were familiar but she couldn’t place who they belonged to, only that they were worried about her. If they were worried, she knew they were friends, maybe even family. With that knowledge, she didn’t want them to worry, she wanted to tell them she was okay. Her heart wanted her to wake up, but her mind felt safe and warm, encouraging her to stay where she was. Eventually she heard the voices again, even more worried than before.

“I hate to say it, but she may not wake up. Wherever Wanda is right now, we may have to bring in Dr. Strange. But forcing her out of this…”

“I worry what will happen if we take either option. God only knows what he’ll do if she stays like this.”

Wanda wanted to scream in that instant, she wanted to know who this he was and what was wrong with him. It couldn’t be Dr. Strange, sure he had helped her gain better control of her powers, but their relationship was more of a mentor and student dynamic. She would finally realize and understand who the mysterious voices were talking about as the dream world she was stuck in let her soul free, and all it took was hearing his voice in her mind.

“I said I’d always protect you Wanda. I can’t do that with you in this coma. You have to wake up. You’re the only family I have left. I can’t lose you like we lost our parents.”

The word parents shocked Wanda back to herself. Her heartbeat, connected to the machines began to increase. As she felt her body responding to her mind’s commands, her eyes slowly began to flutter, her voice coming back next in a whisper.

“P…P-Pietro.”

Pietro Maximoff fell back in his chair as Wanda bolted upright in her hospital bed. Her eyes began darting frantically around the room, hoping and praying that he was there, that his presence wasn’t just a dream. She even tried removing all the wires attached to her body when Steve and Natasha came rushing into the room, gently pushing her back down lest she hurt herself.

“Wanda…Wanda you have to calm down. Please…”

“I heard him Natasha…I heard my brother. Where is he?”

“Wanda, listen to Nat…”

“No Steve…you listen to me. I can’t calm down until I see my brother.”

Slowly and with a groan, Pietro got back to his feet. He would have a massive knot on his head, but his accelerated healing would make it disappear in a few days. As Wanda saw him, her tears began to fall, the questions in her mind as to how both Steve and Natasha were there being put on the backburner for the time being. All she cared about in that moment was that her reality had been restored and fate had brought her brother back. The two shared a hug as Steve and Nat left the room to allow them privacy. A week would pass as Wanda remained in what she now knew was a Wakandan hospital. When she was finally allowed to leave, the first order of business was a debriefing with the Avengers and Dr. Strange.

“Wanda, you know we don’t want to pressure you, but do you remember what happened? You were comatose for three months.”

“It all seems like a fading nightmare, Steve. Thanos came to Earth, he captured you and Natasha, turning you into slaves. He used the Infinity Gauntlet to alter all of reality. Everything was a twisted shadow of our world. I had to fight you multiple times Natasha, after Thanos made you his assassin, KillShadow. I even…”

“Wanda…Dr. Strange said we should let you resolve this on your own. Ease you back into this…I personally disagreed with him. In fact the only thing he, Steve and I do agree on is that you’re stronger than you know.”

“It…this wasn’t a nightmare, was it Natasha?”

“No. Thanos did come to Earth, he did twist Steve and I into his warriors. We did some things that neither of us are proud of. And we’ll have to live with the memories of what we did for the rest of our lives.”

“Then this is all my fault…I should have stopped him in the Battle for Wakanda. I could have prevented all of this from happening if I had been stronger then.”

“No Wanda…no. None of this is your fault. Thanos knew what he wanted to accomplish when he came to Earth. He knew he needed us to do it. Nat and I…we were a force he could use against the Avengers. He thought manipulating us, erasing our identities would demoralize the team. And it did, but you were there to fight him. You saved us. We’re proud of you.”

“I can fix this…I can erase those memories of what he and Maw did to you. Steve, Natasha, you don’t have to live with the memories of what they made you.”

Steve and Natasha turned to each other as Wanda finished speaking. They both knew she was capable of taking the evil Thanos made of them away, but neither of them were sure yet that they wanted her too. It was a decision that would be made when the time was right and she could see that in their eyes.

“Maybe someday Wanda, we’ll allow that. But at this point, we want you to be happy that you’ve got your family back. But we also want you to stay.”

“Stay? I don’t understand.”

“The Avengers need you. The team is being rebuilt with a new roster.”

“You’ll be there too, won’t you?”

“We can’t. Not yet anyway. Steve and I have decided to retire, focus on us. But you won’t be alone. Dr. Strange has agreed to be a consultant, the threats the Avengers will be facing are…according to him…going to be both more cosmic and mystical in nature. Thor is rejoining and…"

“…and Bucky is taking my place as Captain America. Carol will be his second in command like Nat was for me. But that’s not all. Pietro is staying, and so is…”

“Hello Wanda.”

Vision phased through the wall, interrupting Steve’s train of thought. As with Pietro, his appearance brought tears to her eyes. She knew that things were changing and Steve and Natasha had to do what was best for them, but even with the changes, Wanda felt at peace. She had her family back.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not sure I'm happy with the way I ended the story, and I may go back and change it somewhere down the road, but for now I'll leave it as is. Thanks to everyone who has read and left comments and kudos, I truly appreciate you all.


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